Twist of Fate
by Aibhlin37
Summary: Jake arrives in New Rawley a day early and meets Will instead of Hamilton
1. Default Chapter

Title: A Twist of Fate  
Author: EV  
Email: EVLYN827@cs.com  
Rating: PG   
Category: Well, it started out as a Will/Jake...but now it's an "other" I guess.  
Disclaimer: I only own the stories that live in my head. The rest is borrowed from the WB/Columbia Tri-Star Entertainment. The characters are the products of the WB. Some lines and scenes have been changed to protect the innocent. The rest is mine.  
Summary: Jake arrives at Rawley a day early and meets Will instead of Hamilton.  
Thanks: As always to Debi, without her and a seven-hour car ride from Maryland...this story would never have been finished.  
Feedback: Loved and appreciated!!  
***********************************************************************  
  
Authors note: "Fate" is one of my favorite topics. Have you ever imagined what would happen if you'd turned left instead of right? What if you took the elevator instead of the stairs? What if you had met someone else...at a different point in your life? Believers in fate feel that all roads lead to the place that you are truly meant to be. And, we take comfort in the fact that there are NO wrong choices in life. Some choices may lengthen your journey by leading you away from your chosen path but don't worry, eventually, you'll find your way back to the place that you were truly meant to be.  
This piece of fiction contains a lot of the scenes that we all have become familiar with only this time...fate has intervened. :)  
  
"It is good to have an end to a journey...  
But it is the journey that matters in the end."  
-Ursula LeGuin  
Chapter I  
Will tossed the last of his folded laundry into his duffle bag and zipped it shut. He dropped the bag to the floor and looked at himself in the mirror. Just one more day, he thought. One more day and then my new life starts. Rawley Academy was his ticket out. His ticket to opportunity, to success, to freedom. He collected a few personal items from his dresser and was startled to see his father's reflection in the mirror as he appeared in his bedroom doorway. He stood unshaven, his hair standing up in the back, a soiled plaid flannel shirt clinging to his massive hairy arms...looming...lurking. He carried with him a brown bottle of moral support, something he was never without these days. Will froze at first, he was never sure what to expect from his father. "Hey." He said in acknowledgment.  
  
"What are you doing?" His father mumbled. He stepped forward but stumbled back. He was grateful to find the interior wall still in place to support him.  
  
"Packing. I'm leaving for school tomorrow."  
  
"Oh that's right, off to school," he slurred. " Because we're not good enough for you here are we? You're family isn't good enough for you or rich enough...smart enough..."  
  
Will turned back to face the dresser. His past experiences had proven that it was best for him to say nothing at all then to risk further antagonizing his father.  
  
"Leaving us, your family, your mother...imagine, leaving your mother," he mumbled.  
  
"I'm not leaving Mom. I'm going to school on the other side of this town," Will stated.  
  
"Well, when you fail there, like I know you will, you'd better hope the diner will take you on full time." Mr. Krudski tried once again to move from the doorway. He attempted to move toward his son but his legs were unwilling to carry him. He lost his footing a second time and landed on the edge of Will's bed dropping the bottle to the floor and spilling its contents. "Damn it!" He said and looked at Will as if he were to blame for the loss.   
  
Will remained standing by his dresser, comfortable that he was well out of reach of his father.   
"I need to finish packing." Will said, hoping that his father would take the hint and leave. He didn't.  
  
"Why wait until tomorrow?" His father slurred. Will looked puzzled. "Why don't you just leave now? Go on, get the hell out of here...NOW!" The influx in his voice caused Will to jump.  
  
"I can't check in there until tomorrow." Will responded.  
  
"Well kiddo...you can check outta here tonight." Mr. Krudski leaned down to the floor and recovered the bottle. "Get the hell out of my house." He bellowed and flung the bottle slowly enough that Will had time to duck out of the way. The mirror wasn't so lucky. Glass shards fell across the bureau and onto the floor.   
  
Will inhaled deeply attempting to compose himself. He picked up the duffle and the few things he had in his hand and left through the opened bedroom door.   
***********************************************************************  
  
He slowly walked away from the house that he had grown up in. He didn't even glance back. Some kids would have been teary eyed and saddened at the thought of leaving home. Will, on the other hand, had a great sense of safety and relief. He wasn't saddened at the thought of leaving his Mom, she worked at the beauty shop in town and he could visit her whenever he wanted. He did, however, feel a little apprehensive about leaving her alone...in that house...with him.  
  
He kicked at the dirt under his feet as he walked. His old, slightly ratty, sneakers had covered this path many times. Wearing a red T-shirt and faded blue jeans he didn't feel much like a Rawley Academy student. He would arrive at school tomorrow on foot...not chauffeured as many others would. It would take some time for him to adjust to being one of them. The snotty, stuck up boys from the other side of the lake. The same boys that he and Bella had spent countless evenings making fun of. Now he had to become one of them.  
  
He headed to the shortcut through the woods not knowing why he was rushing. He had nowhere to go. The more distance he put between himself and that house improved his mood. He had left his home a number of times before and when he did, he always ran to Bella's. Bella Banks had been his best friend since they were young. She was the only person he had confided in...ever. There were things that she knew that he had never been able tell his other friends or even his own mother. Their relationship had grown and matured over the years. When Bella's mother left...Bella ran to Will. When Will's father became increasingly abusive...Will ran to Bella. They were there for each other. No matter what. No questions asked.   
  
Will reached Charlie's Gas and Tow at about 10:30 in the morning. Saturdays were always busy in the small town and he saw Charlie, Bella's Dad, working under the hood of a dark green Chevy wagon. "Hey Charlie." He said as he approached.  
  
Charlie looked up. "Will." He extended a grease covered hand and then pulled it back and smiled. "Sorry."  
  
"Bella around?"  
  
"No...she left last night. She went to the Cape for the weekend. I thought she told you."  
  
Will remembered. "She did. I forgot. That's OK Charlie...um...I'll talk to her when she gets back." He walked backward and waved toward him. "Thanks anyway." Charlie immersed himself back into the Chevy's engine not noticing the disheartened look on Will's face as he left.  
  
There's always the beauty shop, he thought. He could spend the night in the back after all the clients had gone for the day. He hated to worry his mother, she did what she could to alleviate the tension in their home, but even she couldn't work the miracles that were needed to make his Dad a better person. He crossed the street and headed toward Friendly's, the diner he had worked in for the last six months. Mr.Voci had been a great boss and was always really good to him, giving him extra shifts when he needed a little cash to pay for the Rawley entrance exam or the required money to cover his enrollment fee's.  
  
"Hi Will." Mr. Voci said, "One more day, huh?"  
  
"Yup, one more day...then back to school again. Funny, a month ago I was counting the days until school ended and now, I'm counting down the days 'til school starts. Go figure." Will smiled.  
  
"What's with all the stuff. Are you moving in today?"  
  
Will hesitated, he didn't want to explain that his father, who never supported any thing that he did, had just thrown him out of his own house and that now he had nowhere to go. "Umm...yeah...actually. The school is letting us move in today, if we want to. So, I'm just dropping off my stuff, less to carry tomorrow...I guess." Will smiled again as he lied. "How about a cheeseburger for the road?"  
  
"Coming up..."  
  
Will sat on the stool that surrounded the ice-cream counter at the diner and waited for his order. "Hey Frank." He waved to one of the regular customers. Frank was a "townie" through and through, born here...married here...working here...and most likely would die here, never seeing much past the outskirts of New Rawley. Frank stood up to leave, putting a dollar under his plate for the frazzled waitress. He walked toward Will and extended his hand. "Good luck tomorrow Will. You deserve this chance." His eyes fell upon Will and he sighed as if he was viewing himself as a boy.   
  
"Thanks Frank." He said as he returned the handshake. "Don't worry, I'll still be around here."  
  
"They need you here." Frank whispered as he rolled his eyes at the blonde haired waitress, watching while she attempted to balance two cups of coffee in her left hand. Moments later the sound of china crashing to the floor could be heard.  
  
"Here you go Will." Mr. Voci said, "This one's on the house." He looked over his shoulder and watched the warm black liquid seep down the edges of the counter. "Darlene...honey, why don't you get the mop and I'll serve the coffee." He let out a frustrated exhale and Will grinned.  
  
"Thanks." Will left the diner and headed a short distance up the street. He made himself comfortable on the bench just outside his mother's beauty shop and unwrapped the burger. As he began to eat his mother joined him.   
  
"Hi honey. " She said as she lit a cigarette.   
  
"Hi Mom."  
  
"What are you doing here? What's all that?" She looked at the duffle bag and backpack on the ground. Will moved over and allowed his mother to join him on the bench.  
  
"Just my stuff. The school called, they're letting us into the dorms today so I thought it would be a good idea to go early...you know...get used to the place, have a look around." His mother looked back at him.  
  
"Well, I could come by after work and help you get things fixed up if you like." She offered.  
  
"Thanks. But, I...you know, I really just want to get used to the place by myself. Why don't you just come by tomorrow like we planned? That would be better."  
  
"If that's what you want, Will." She looked disappointed. At fifteen, her little boy was all grown up and ready to tackle the world on his own. She knew he could. She had every confidence that he would do great things with his life and Rawley Academy was just the beginning. "Dad and I will be there for orientation tomorrow. Two o'clock, right?"  
  
"Yeah..." He answered, looking down. He hated lying to her. He hoped that only she would show up tomorrow. He expected his father to find some excuse not to come. He hoped that he would. But, Will assumed that tomorrow would allow his father one more chance to belittle him in front of a whole new group of people and that idea alone might just inspire his father's attendance.   
  
"Susan, Mrs. Jones is ready." Annette, the receptionist, called out from the door. Will's mother stubbed out her cigarette and brushed the remaining ashes from her skirt.   
  
"I gotta go make people look beautiful." She hugged Will. "Listen, if you change your mind...if you want me to help just call the house. OK?"  
  
"Mom... I'll be fine, really...."  
  
"I know you will. I'm so proud of you." She said as she hugged him.  
  
"Mom, it's only summer session, I could be right back at Edmund High in the fall. I just keep wondering...how long it will be before I screw this up?"  
  
"Will...you're not going to screw up," She said reassuringly. She patted his shoulder and kissed his cheek, wiping the plum colored lipstick smudge from his face with her thumb, then she turned and walked away.  
  
Will watched his mother until she disappeared through the doors to the salon. Will scrunched up the greasy foil wrapper from the burger and tossed it into the nearby trash barrel. He picked up his duffle and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He was on his own...and had no real idea which direction he should head in.  
***********************************************************************  
In need of a little physical as well as mental rest, Will seated himself under one of the old oak trees that surrounded Rawley Lake. As midday approached, the hot summer sun shone down through the branches and warmed his face. He looked at it, Rawley Academy For Boys, as it stood impressive and foreboding. He smiled as he thought of the number of times his mother had brought him to this lake. He learned to swim in this lake. He realized that he had never traveled to the other side, the Rawley side. He smiled again at how absurd that was. He was mesmerized for a moment as the sun glinted of the water temporarily blinding him. His thoughts were interrupted by the odd sounding "putt-putt-gasp" noises that came from the dirt path that led toward the school. Into his vision came a distressed motorcyclist. The shiny black bike sputtered and gasped, finally ceasing. Will watched for a minute as the frustrated rider jumped up and down on the seat striking his right foot against the starter. The bike roared as dark puffs of smoke poured from the exhaust. Again...amidst the sounds of a coughing engine the motorcycle came to a halt. The driver swung his leg over the seat and dismounted, bending down to look at the engine. Will continued to watch as the person tinkered with some of the bikes finer instrumentation. Will stood and walked toward the rider. He was aware of his lack of knowledge concerning motorcycles. He didn't even drive a car yet, but he thought maybe he could help with directions to Charlie's, if nothing else.  
  
"Having some trouble...huh?" He said as he came closer.  
  
"Ah...yeah." The biker nodded as if it seemed so obvious.  
  
"Dumb question?" Will said chuckling.  
  
"Ah...yeah." The rider repeated, smiling.  
  
"A friend of mine has a gas station, you could take it there if you want." Will offered.  
  
"That's Okay. But, thanks." The driver continued to push the bike further down the dirt covered road.   
  
"Can I call someone for you...or something?" Will called out.  
  
The bike stopped moving. Removing the dark sunglasses and her helmet, she let her long dark hair fall out from underneath. She shook out the perspiration soaked tangles and let her locks fall down over her shoulders as she played with her bangs...pulling them down over her forehead.  
  
Will unintentionally stared. He's a she, he thought to himself. He walked toward her to catch up. As he reached his destination, he stopped. He blushed slightly...she was beautiful. "Ah...Hi again."  
  
"Hi" She answered.  
  
"I've gotta be honest, I don't know much about motorcycles."  
  
"Yeah...well neither do I, at least not this one. It's kinda new. I just got it for this trip."  
  
"Where are you heading?"  
  
She hesitated slightly, "Um...I'm just...on my way to visit a friend...just passing through here actually.   
  
"Really?" Will said.  
  
"You know, maybe you can help me....um...." She looked at him inadvertently asking for his name.  
  
"Ah...Will." He smiled.  
  
"Okay AhWill...do you know a good motel around here? It looks like I'm spending the night."  
  
"A motel? In New Rawley?" He snickered thinking how ironic the circumstances were." No...the closest one is in Carson and it'd be quite a walk pushing that." He looked at the bike.  
  
"Damn." She said.  
  
"Can you call your friend? Maybe she could come and pick you up?"  
  
"Ah..." again she hesitated. "No...that won't work...she's kinda sick...really sick...that's why I'm visiting her." She lied, hoping this would be good practice for the multiple lies that lay ahead of her.  
  
"Mmmm...that is a problem then." Since he had no clear plan for himself he wondered how much help he could give the lovely stranger. Giving no further thoughts to his own circumstances he thought this might be a nice distraction for the afternoon. Will grabbed at the handlebars of the motorcycle."Why don't you let me help you with that?"  
  
"I got it." She said not wishing to relinquish her control...just yet.  
  
"No, really. Let me help you." Will took the bike from her.  
  
"And...where are we going?"  
  
"Well...there's a station in town. I know the owner personally. I'm sure that he can help you and get this fixed up. You'll be on your way to your friends house by dinner."  
  
Jake considered her options and felt the list was shortening drastically. She didn't want to let herself be seen around town...yet. Not like this...not as a girl. But, she was stranded at the moment with a bike that didn't work and no place to change or spend the night. This hadn't been part of her well thought out plan.  
  
"I appreciate your help AhWill..."  
  
"Will...Will Krudski." He said smiling.  
  
"I appreciate your help Will...but I can't really take the bike into town right now." She hoped he wouldn't ask any questions but that seemed pretty unrealistic.  
  
"It's not like you stole it or anything." He looked at her. "Did you?"  
  
"No, I didn't steal it. It's just that...well..." She couldn't come up with an excuse quickly enough until Will provided her with one.  
  
"Is it the money? You don't have enough money to fix it?"  
  
Good idea, she thought. "Yeah...that's it. I just don't have it right now...so...thanks for...." She attempted to take possession of the handlebars.  
  
"Don't worry, I know the Banks' it'll be fine. They'll help you out, fix what needs to be fixed and you can send them a check or something when you get settled."   
  
Jake exhaled. Her plan...her well orchestrated plan. She arrives in town the day before classes start. She gets a chance to take a quick look around, find a place to stash her bike...get a haircut...change her clothes...and arrive at Rawley Academy For Boys as Jake, the boy, Pratt. Meeting a local stranger and having no transportation or place to stay was just not supposed to happen  
***********************************************************************  
Jake stood leaning against a gas pump. She was grateful for the opportunity to rest. It had been a long walk from the lake to the gas station but it must have felt longer for Will, who pushed her bike the entire distance. She watched as Will and Charlie hunkered down to examine the motorcycle's engine. Jake was convinced that she probably understood the inner workings of her bike better than Will did but, it was obvious to her that he enjoyed taking the lead on her behalf. She didn't like playing the roll of the "damsel in distress" but knew it only had to last another day.   
  
Charlie approached Jake. "Well, you have a kink in your vacuum line...that's this little piece here." He said in an unintentionally condescending way. He knew that his daughter was well versed in the inner workings of engines and transmissions, thanks to him, but she was the exception to the rule. Charlie pointed to the coil he held in his hand. "It's an easy fix. The problem is, I don't have one that'll fit your bike. I can get it, but it won't be ready until much later this afternoon. I don't usually work late on Saturday but Will says you have somewhere you need to be..so, I'll make an exception." He smiled.  
  
"Thanks." She responded. Jake's mind swirled. Now what was she going to do. The opportunity to explore her new surroundings would come sooner than she had wanted.  
  
"Hungry?" Will asked startling her from her thoughts.  
  
"Um...yeah, I guess."  
  
"We could grab a bite to eat...hang out for a bit. I can show you the sights."  
  
"We?" She questioned.  
  
"Well, I hate to see you wandering lost and alone...and hungry in this great big town." He chuckled.  
  
Jake looked around. The 'big town' of New Rawley was essentially right in front of her. "Well, I would hate to get lost." She returned the smile.  
  
Will took Jake by the arm and lead her from the station to the sidewalk. He stopped on the curb and looked both ways. When the road was clear of traffic he guided her off the curb and across the street.  
  
"Were you ever a boy scout?" She asked looking at his hand where it was attached to her arm.  
  
Will let go. "Sorry." He smiled.  
  
Jake saw the sign for Friendly's and headed in that direction but Will took her arm once again.  
  
"Nah, not there. The food's greasy and the service is terrible." He laughed inwardly, he really didn't want to run into Mr. Voci again today and have to answer more questions. "There's another place down the street...much better choice."  
  
"Your the tour guide." She said as she followed him aimlessly. Jake stopped and looked at the marquee type sign that hung above the door to the deli. "The Chat 'N Chew?" she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Bear with me here." He grinned  
  
Will took Jake to the town park and they settled on a bench near the children's play area. They opened their sandwiches and began to eat. Jake hadn't realized how hungry she was until she took the first bite. "This is really good."  
  
"The sandwich...the prefect food when you think about it." Will said holding up half of his sandwich with a pondering look on his face. "You have your bread group, your meat group, add lettuce and tomato, you have your vegetable group...with the right amount of mayonnaise you have your fats and oils group covered. Now, the trick is the beverage...add a chocolate milk and you finish up the dairy and chocolate food groups too. You've conquered the entire food pyramid."  
  
"Is there a chocolate group?" She smiled.  
  
"Well if there isn't...there should be." He took a bite.  
  
The afternoon sun was warm and relaxing. Jake closed her eyes and looked upward as the rays fell upon her face. Will couldn't resist the urge to look over at her. She was beautiful. He imagined the life she led. Someone like her, this gorgeous girl with her new motorcycle, taking off to be with her sick friend in need. She obviously had a lifestyle that he was completely unfamiliar with. "So, where did you say you were from?" Will asked.  
  
"I didn't," Will stopped, feeling uncomfortable as though her were prying into her life. "You never asked." She smiled.  
  
Will smiled back..."So, where are you from?" He asked again.  
  
"New York."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"And you?"  
  
For a second Will wanted to lie and tell her he's never been to this town either and, like herself, he was just passing through, too. He hesitated and against his better judgment went for the truth. "I live..." He pointed past the largest tree that lined the edge of the park. "Just past those trees and a little to the left." He stared out across the manicured lawns and pictured the deceivingly welcoming look to the house he had grown up in.  
  
"You live here...in New Rawley?" Jake's eyes opened wider. For a moment she panicked. What if she ran into Will in town someday? What would she do? What if he recognized her? This might ruin everything. "You know what? I really should be going." She tossed the rest of her sandwich into the paper bag and moved as if she had somewhere to go.  
  
"What's up with you?" Will asked. Suddenly he felt as if he'd done something wrong...invaded her space. "You can't go anywhere without your bike."  
  
"I know...I...I just don't want to take up any more of your time. I'm sure you have to get home or something."  
  
"Ah...no, I'm Ok. He gently grabbed her wrist and tugged until she sat back down on the bench beside him. "What's wrong? Did I say something?"  
  
"No." Will sat on the bench and tried not to look at her. Jake sat quietly staring at the trees. Finally Jake exhaled loudly breaking the tension. "So...is this what people do on a Saturday afternoon in New Rawley for fun?"  
  
"Yes, we hang out in the park and watch the grass grow. It's a big deal. People travel here from all over North America just to catch a glimpse of our grass growing." He said with a completely serious look on his face.  
  
"Really?" Jake played along.  
  
"Really, they come from New York, Maine, North Carolina...even Massachussets just to visit our antique shop and our paint store."  
  
"Your paint store?"  
  
"Absolutley! They've come from as far away as Canada...just to stand in the middle of our street and take photographs."  
  
"Yeah...right." Jake said sarcastically.  
  
"Okay...think what you like, but they DO come."  
  
Jake turned her face to look at him. After a moment or two she saw his mouth turn up at the corners as he tried to suppress a grin. She laughed out loud and so did he.  
***********************************************************************  
  
The afternoon passed quickly. Will and Jake talked and laughed, having no concept of the time. They had no idea how comfortable they were becoming in each other's presence. "You're mom's an actress? That's so cool."  
  
"I guess. I mean...most people seem to think so, I just sort of think of her as my mother. And, I'm a little jealous sometimes that for the price of a ticket the general public gets to see her more than I do." Jake stopped talking abruptly. She had felt that way for so long but had never put those feeling into actual words until just now. She looked at Will for his reaction.  
  
"Man...that's rough."  
  
"What about your family?"  
  
Will stared off into the trees again. He pondered another minute about what to say and realizing that he probably would never see this girl again after tonight he decided the best thing would be to eliminate any pity she might want to bestow on him. "Well, my mother is a beauty consultant. All the women in town come to her for her expert advice on hair and make-up. And my Dad well, he's a..." Will found himself staring aimlessly at the remaining swallow of chocolate milk in his bottle. "My Dad, he works out of the house. He's in the newspaper business." Will was pleased with his quick thinking. It didn't really feel like a lie. Since his father had been laid off from his job eight months ago he mostly hung around the house in his underwear, reading the want-ads. "It's really great having him home so much. He's so involved and he's always there for me. Sometimes we just hang out in the front yard and play catch for hours" OK, now it was starting to feel like a complete farce. Will felt it best to stop before he hung himself completely.  
  
"Wow, you're so lucky Will. I wish my mother was always around for me. Sometimes she's gone for six months at a time. She'll send me things, like that's supposed to make up for it. But...it's..." Jake was starting to feel teary. She thought she'd better stop before she spilled her guts to a complete stranger. The afternoon sun was setting and Jake checked her watch. "Oh hey, it's almost 7 o'clock. We should probably be getting back to Charlie's."  
  
Will felt a little sad, he'd enjoyed this afternoon and hated to see it end. She reminded him of Bella in some ways. She was so easy to talk to. Of course with Bella, he had the added benefit that she knew the truth. She knew his life and accepted him as he was. This girl didn't know the real Will Krudski, and if she did, she might not be so comfortable spending time with him at all.  
  
It was a short walk back to the gas station. Will held open the glass door that led to Charlie Banks' office. "Hey Charlie...is the motorcycle fixed?"  
  
"Will, I've been looking for you." Charlie said. "I'm sorry if I caused a problem."  
  
"What?" Will looked confused.  
  
"I can't get the part until tomorrow, I'm sorry. I wanted to let you know sooner so that your friend here could make some plans. I called your house and talked to your Dad."  
  
Will swallowed hard and felt his cheeks start to flush slightly. "You did?"  
  
"Yeah, your Dad seemed well...a little less than happy."  
  
"Mmmm" Will said nothing. He couldn't think of anything to say and he could feel her standing right behind him...listening. "Well, he's having a rough week I guess."  
  
"Still no bites on a job...huh?" Charlie asked. "That must be tough on him, on all of you. Bella mentioned that your Mom's been putting in a lot of extra hours at the beauty shop."  
  
Will's face was on fire...this couldn't possible get any worse. The door to the office slammed opened loudly and Brian Krudski entered. He reeked of alcohol as he stumbled over the threshold of the doorway. This just got worse, Will thought to himself.   
  
"You little son-of-a bitch." Brian bellowed across the office. Will smiled thinking just how ironic that statement was. "You ran to your mother didn't you? You told her...you told her that I .."  
  
Charlie interrupted..."Look Brian, let's calm down here, OK?"  
  
"Stay out of this Banks! This is none of your business." Brian roared.  
  
"Actually Brian, it is my business. You're standing inside of MY business, so if you don't mind..." As Charlie continued to argue needlessly with Brian Krudski Will saw Charlie motion to him with his hand, giving Will opportunity. Without thinking...Will grabbed Jake's hand and pulled her behind him toward the door. Will's breathing was erratic and his heart was pounding in his ears. His sense of fight or flight kicked in and he continued to run well past the grounds of the gas station and out into the evening with Jake still in tow. Will always felt safer when he was running.  
  
Finally Jake pulled back on Will's arm and stopped them both. She panted to catch her breath. "You want to tell me what that was all about?"  
  
Will was still breathing heavily. Jake noticed that he was trembling. "No..." he answered as he shook his head from side to side. "I don't want to tell you, but I will if I have to." Without knowing why, Jake walked closer to him and put her arms securely around him. She pulled him toward her. Will tensed at first and then slowly his tension eased and his breathing returned to normal. "Come on," he said to her. "I know a place where we can go...where we can talk." Jake smiled and followed him.  
  
**********************************************************************  
They headed down the darkened street and scooted down the alley in between the brick buildings. "Hold on a second, where are we going?" Jake asked. Will stopped walking and turned to look at her face. She looked nervous.   
  
"It's Ok. Really."  
  
"Will, what happened back there? Was that your father?"  
  
"Yeah...it was. I'm sorry you had to meet him like that."  
  
"What did Charlie mean...no bites on a job?"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I...um...I guess I lied a little, I was embarrassed, I didn't want you to know that my Dad was...well...not as great a guy as I led you to believe, that's all." Will looked down at his feet and kicked at the pebbles on the ground.  
  
"Why would you feel like you had to lie to me?"  
  
"I don't know I guess sometimes lying is easier...than telling the truth."  
  
"Actually...." She smiled..."I understand that." Will looked up to meet her eyes. "Your Dad seemed...well...a little angry."  
  
"That's putting it mildly. He was pissed and who knows why this time. It's better for me to leave when he's like that."  
  
"Are you afraid of him? Has he ever...I mean...could he hurt you?" She asked hesitatingly, afraid that she might be asking too much, afraid of the answer.  
  
"Not physically...not anymore. My Dad is pretty much the exact opposite of what I described. He's never been there for me...he's never helped me or encouraged me or supported me. I annoy him. I remind him that he had a chance for a different life and he blew it. I have the opportunity. I have a chance for things to be different, and I'm going to take it and make it work."  
  
Jake stood in awe. She felt somehow drawn to this boy. She felt connected to him in someway. He was running away from the one thing that she thought she wanted so much. A family. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be...OK. I'm fine. I'm gonna be just fine. I'm probably stronger for it. When you get down this low...sometimes there's no place to go but up."  
  
"But now where are you going to go. You can't go home can you?"  
  
Will chuckled..."Funny you should mention that. The truth is my father tossed me out of the house this morning. I didn't have anywhere else to go so I was just hanging out at the lake. That's when I saw you."   
  
"Fate has a strange way of intervening. Maybe I'm meant to be your guardian angel or something."  
  
"Yeah...maybe." Will smiled.  
  
"So, what are you going to do?"  
  
"Come on.." Will took Jake's hand again only this time, instead of leading her...dragging her behind him...he held it...in his own and walked beside her. "The back entrance to the Glamourama is right around the corner. Did I mention that my Moms a hair dresser?"  
  
"Sort of..." Jake chuckled. "Do you have a key or something?"  
  
"No, but I don't usually need one."  
  
They walked past the dumpster and stood outside the large wooden door embedded in the back of the brick building. "It's not locked?" Jake said surprised. Having come from New York she was used to seeing businesses not only locked but covered with large metal gates to help protect them from burglars and vandals.  
  
"It's locked, but only the front door is alarmed."  
  
"New Rawley thieves only use the front door?"   
  
"Basically New Rawley thieves don't waste their time breaking into beauty shops." Will turned the door knob just to be sure and found it locked as he had expected. "Damn!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"My bag...my backpack...I left it Charlie's when we ran out of there. I need my library card to jimmy the door. Damn, I'll have to go back there and get it."  
  
"No. You can't, it could be dangerous. Your Dad might still be there. Here..." Jake took a small change purse from her back pocket. She unzipped it and took out a plastic credit card. She looked at it first and then handed it over to Will. "Would this work?"  
  
Will took the card from her. "Yeah..." He slipped the card into the crack between the door and the doorjamb and slid it down toward the lock. He expertly wiggled the knob with his left hand while he worked the card with the right. With relative ease the door opened. Will glanced at the card again. "Jacqueline M. Pratt.." He said out loud. "Your Mom?"  
  
"No...that would be me."  
  
Will finally realized that in all the time they had spent together she had never told him her name.  
  
"You have your own credit card?" He asked, not really that surprised. Jake nodded her head seeming almost embarrassed by the wealth her mother's career provided for her. Will hesitated and looked at the card again. "You said you couldn't get your bike fixed because you didn't have the money. Right?"  
  
Now it was Jake's turn. "I guess I sort of did." Jake now spent a moment looking at her own sneakers. "I'm sorry Will...I guess I lied to you too."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Inside the safety of the beauty shop, both Jake and Will felt more relaxed. Will poured a pot of water through the automatic drip coffee maker and turned on the switch. "Mmmm there's cocoa and chicken soup...or tea..."  
  
"Soup sounds good." She said. "I get the feeling you've been here before."  
  
"Maybe once or twice. Yeah..." Will thought about the nights he'd spent alone in the back of the shop...nights when his father was on a rampage as he emptied the contents of the soup mix into two paper cups and added plastic spoons to each. He waited for the water to finish heating. "But, enough about me. What about you?"  
  
"What would you like to know?" Jake began feeling slightly uncomfortable again.  
  
"Everything...anything. Why did you lie about the money?"  
  
"It wasn't about the money really. It was about me."  
  
"I'm confused."  
  
Jake sat silently for a moment. She could make up another lie...she had the chance. She knew that she would feel guilty but in the long run it could be better. She had worked out her plan so carefully and now things had gotten way out of hand. Will was a stranger to her. He had helped her out and he had confided some very personal things to her. The truth, she wanted to tell him the truth, she felt she owed him that. "I'm sort of taking a break...from my life. That's all really. My mother is gone...a lot. She doesn't know me anymore. She has no idea who I am, who I've become. She's in Italy right now. She has no idea what part of the world I'm even in. It really hurts Will. She just doesn't seem to notice me anymore. She's all I have and she thinks that buying me things makes up for it...but it doesn't. Right now she thinks I'm attending a boarding school in Philadelphia."  
  
"But your not."  
  
"Right.... I changed from that school...and went to one in Connecticut for a while. I sent her postcards and pictures from there. Let's see, that was number..." Jake counted on her fingers..."six."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"And nothing..."  
  
"What?" Will looked was surprised. "So why would you keep switching?"  
  
"Just waiting for someone to notice."  
  
"They don't know?" Will was surprised. His own father didn't seem to care much about what he did. But, he felt sure that changing schools six times would be noticed even in the Krudski house.  
  
"Nope...I just get inside my mom's e-mail account and send a letter as her, and her attorney wires the money wherever I say. The wonders of the digital age. So I did a little Internet research and found a school here in New Rawley that I'd like to attend."  
  
"Edmond High?" Will asked knowing it was the only public high school in the area.  
  
"Ah...no...not really."  
  
"Then where?"  
  
"I'm enrolled for the summer semester at Rawley Academy."  
  
"Rawley Girls? You're kidding? That's a great school and you're not going to believe this...but...."  
  
Jake cut him off..."Actually...I'm enrolled at Rawley Academy...for boys."  
  
"But..." Will once again had a confused look on his face."But that's an all boys school...you mean Rawley Girls."  
  
"Will...I said Rawley Academy and that is what I meant. I know this probably sounds a little weird to you but, I have a plan. I want to see if she pays any attention to the letters I send her...if she even takes the time to read them. I thought maybe she'd recognize the stationary from her alma mater. My mother went to Rawley Girls and now I'm enrolled at Rawley Academy for boys...as a boy..  
  
Will was dead silent. "You're kidding..."  
  
"Do I look like I'm kidding?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well...my well thought out plan was to get here early, get my hair cut, change clothes and become a Rawley guy. How tough could it be?"  
  
Will looked at Jake. He looked at her long shiny dark hair as it curled neatly on her shoulders. Her cheeks were still flushed pink and there was just a hint of color in her lips. He couldn't help but take notice of her well filled out tank top...her denim shorts, frayed at the edges and her long tanned legs. How could she ever pass for a boy?  
  
"I didn't plan on having problems with my bike. I didn't plan on not finding a place to stay. I didn't plan on meeting you." Will handed her a warm cup of soup and she mindlessly stirred the liquid. "I guess my plan is, well, not as worked out as I first thought".  
  
"OK. You want to go to Rawley. You want to cut your hair and you want to pretend to be a boy. Am I getting this right?"  
  
"That was the plan." She said blowing into the cup and taking a quick sip.  
  
Will looked around the salon. "Well, Miss Pratt, I just might be able to help you." He smiled.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Oh my God!" Jake exhaled, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Jake sat in the chair, draped in a plastic cape, wet ringlets of hair plastering the floor...her hands still covering her face. "What was I thinking?"  
  
"Would you relax...hair dressing is in my blood." He smiled as he glanced over the top of her head and to the mirror in back of her. "You don't strike me as the nervous type Jacqueline."  
  
"But it's my hair. I expected to go to a professional, to a stylist at a reputable salon, to someone who knows what they're doing."  
  
"You wound me..." He smiled as he pressed one hand over his heart. "Look, here's Boy tip number one...guys don't go to a stylist or to a salon to have their hair cut. We go to the barber on a Saturday morning and wait in line reading old issues of Sports Illustrated and Biker Weekly. Now, do you want to see this or not?" Will spun the swiveling chair around slowly to face the mirror...  
  
Jake opened her fingers a crack and let one eye peer between them. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and slowly pulled one hand down from her face and then the other. Her lips parted slightly and Will held his breath and watched her as she took note of her new look. "Oh my God..." she said easily.  
  
"You hate it?"  
  
"No, it's good..." She pulled at her dampened bangs out of habit and tousled them over her left eye. "You did it...you really did it."  
  
"And you were worried..." Will exhaled himself, relaxed now that he hadn't botched the job entirely.  
  
Will unsnapped the cape and tossed it onto the chair beside them. He leaned down with his cheek beside hers and looked into the mirror along with her. "Not bad. If I do say so myself."  
  
"It's perfect...thank you." She turned her face to the left and gently kissed him on the cheek. Will watched as his reflection blushed.   
  
"You're welcome" He said as he stood up straight. Jake got up out of the chair and checked her new look in the large oval mirror. She stood sideways and attempted to look at the back of her head. Will picked up a hand mirror and adjusted it so she could see. Jake pulled at the tank top she was wearing...adjusting it slightly over her hips and smoothing out the wrinkles.  
  
"Boy tip number two...guys never do that." He said.  
  
"Right..." She sighed.  
  
Will put his hands on her shoulders..."Relax a little...kinda slouch..." Jake did as he directed. "Good... Now...just let your arms go limp...and let them swing a little...bend your knees...that's it...now just walk.."  
  
Jake followed his directions and looked like a chimpanzee as she sashayed around the salon. "Like this...?"  
  
"On second thought...forget everything I just said...just walk normal." He laughed and Jake joined in with a slightly high pitched giggle. "Have you thought about your voice?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well...lowering it a little."  
  
Jake put her hand over her mouth and cleared her throat. "Like this?" She said in a voice slightly lower than her own.  
  
"Not bad...can you go lower...like this?" Will said as he lowered his own voice in example.  
  
"Like this?" A deep baritone sound came from Jake's mouth.  
  
"No. Let's just pretend that you're a late bloomer and your voice hasn't changed yet." He chuckled. "Now, what about clothes?"  
  
"My stuff is all with your stuff...still at Charlie's I guess."  
  
"I'll head over there first thing in the morning and pick up your bags." Will checked his watch. "It's after midnight. We should get some sleep. You must be beat after that ride today.  
  
"Yeah...kinda." She said yawning at the suggestion.  
  
Will pulled a small sofa out of the waiting area. He covered the top with a small stack of clean towels and stretched out his arm to show her the way. "Not exactly the Waldorf...but it'll do." She smiled at his offering.  
  
"The what?"  
  
"Never mind. What about you? Where are you going to sleep?"  
  
"I'll just stretch out under the dryer. I see old ladies sleeping under them all the time."  
  
Jake laid down of the sofa pulling her knees up so that her long, lean body would fit. She adjusted the towels under her head. "Good night Will." She said as she closed her eyes. Will watched her. It didn't take long for her breathing to become easy and rhythmic.   
  
Will settled himself on a reclining chair under the confines of the hooded hair dryer. He folded his arms across his chest and eagerly closed his tired eyes too. "Good night sleeping beauty..." He whispered softly. "Ah...I mean prince charming..." He smiled to himself as he gently drifted into welcomed sleep.  
  
Jake was awoken by the early morning sunlight as it streamed into the bright and cheery beauty salon. She rubbed at the sore spot on her neck as she sat up feeling otherwise well rested. "Will?" she called out. There was no response. She noticed her back pack and travel bags sitting unattended on the floor in front of her. On top of the pile sat a white paper bag. She opened it to find a doughnut, a small carton of orange juice and a napkin. She smiled. She emptied the bag onto her lap and took a bite of the doughnut. She brought the napkin toward her mouth when she noticed the lettering.  
  
Hi boy,  
Good luck at school.  
Maybe we'll bump into   
each other again sometime.  
Will  
  
She tucked the napkin into the pocket of her shorts. She lifted the hem of her wrinkled tank top and wiped her mouth with it. And then she smiled.......  
*********************************************************************** 


	2. Chapter 2

  
Chapter II  
  
Will stood glancing up at the stone pillars that graced the front of the majestic old building. He let the well worn duffle bag drop from his hand to the ground and adjusted the straps of his overly loaded back pack. This is where he had always dreamed he would be. Rawley. He smiled and with a mix of apprehension and excitement he picked up his bag and headed toward the stone steps.  
  
It was still early in the day and he was the first of many students expected to arrive. The halls still smelled faintly of fresh paint and polish. Will eagerly drank in his surroundings. The marble archways, the ornate woodwork and the crystal globes that illuminated from the ceilings. This was unlike any school he had ever attended. He was drawn to the school's crest that hung impressively in the front foyer. A blue shield, a large gold R and a swag with the Latin lettering, veritas est virtus. He felt the presence of another student close behind him, "Truth in virtue." the young man said confidently.  
  
"Actually...it's truth is virtue." Will corrected.  
  
"Whatever." The young man walked away seemingly uninterested and unimpressed.   
  
He stopped again to stare up at the pictures of those men, the founders, that adorned the walls of the prestigious academy.   
  
Oblivious, Will literally walked into the first person he met. A strikingly handsome young man wearing cut-off blue jeans and a Rawley crew tank top. He was carrying an arm load of orientation flyers, which scattered to the ground. "Hey, you really should look where you're going."   
  
"Sorry man." Will apologized as he bent down, red faced, and helped gather the papers from the floor.  
  
"No problem, " He said smiling as he extended his empty hand. "Hamilton...Fleming, welcoming committee and official tour guide extraordinaire."   
  
Will shook his hand and returned the smile. "Will Krudski."  
  
"Freshman?" Hamilton asked.  
  
"Yeah." Will replied.  
  
"All the freshman dorms are on the second floor." He pointed to a spiral staircase in the corner and then waved back as he walked away. "See ya when I see ya."  
  
Will headed for the staircase and took the steps two at a time. He rounded the corner and found his assigned room. He inhaled slowly as he faced the closed door. He hesitated for a moment drawing out his own suspense then turned the knob and allowed the door to fall open. Entering one step at a time he took note of the crispness of his surroundings. The beds sat side by side in the large but sparsely furnished room. An older, plastic encased, electric fan looked out of place as it sat atop the wooden bureau, guaranteeing to provide him with a breeze on a hot summer nights. He set his duffle bag down on the recently polished hardwood floor. Again, he hesitated. He was assigned to this room. He was supposed to be here and yet...he felt like he was an intruder. He felt as though he didn't belong. He silently walked to the end of one of the matching twin beds and relieved himself of his back pack. He sat down on the edge careful not to wrinkle the pristine navy blue bedspread. From his perch on the bed he watched as the fountains bubbled in the quad beneath. He could see out of the arched window to the lake that lay sprawled in front of him. He wondered where Jacqueline was if she had arrived yet. He secretly hoped that she would be happy to see him again. His stomach fluttered with anticipation. He wondered if they would have any classes together and how hard it would be for him to treat her like another guy. What if he, single-handedly, was responsible for "blowing her cover." What if he caused her leave?  
  
Hamilton's voice startled him from his thoughts. "Found it, huh?"  
  
"Yeah...thanks." Will replied.  
  
"You, my friend, have one of the best rooms in the place you know." Hamilton walked toward the window. Hanging around his neck was an expensive looking Nikon camera complete with a telephoto lens. Will's first thought was how many hours he would have to work at the diner to afford something like that. Will followed Hamilton to the window and watched as he opened it and aimed the high-powered camera outside. "Hello Rawley Academy for Girls." He said through a smile.   
  
"No way!" Will said with a surprised chuckle.  
  
"Way." Hamilton replied still gazing. "Here...see for yourself." Hamilton handed the camera to Will, the strap still encircling his neck.  
  
Will focused on what little he could see of the girl's campus. In his mind he thought maybe two good shifts at the diner would buy him a decent pair of binoculars. This was definitely a pass time worth investing in. Suddenly a sleek black motorcycle came into his view. Will smiled. She's here, he thought to himself. He felt his excitement growing and was careful not to speak for fear that Hamilton would pick up the elation in his voice. Will allowed the lens to lazily follow the bike and watched as it turned onto a dirt road just beyond the gates of Rawley Academy. "Nice bike." He mumbled through a grin.  
  
Hamilton retrieved the camera from Will and took a final glance. "I WILL be back." He turned and strode out of the door pulling it closed behind him as he left.  
  
Will resisted the urge to run outside and find her. He wondered if she would be upset with him for not telling her last night that he too, was attending Rawley. Not a lie, he surmised...just an omission. He hoped it would be a good surprise.  
  
Will opened his duffle and put the few things he had into the top drawer of one of the antique oak bureaus. He opened the closet door and tossed the empty bag onto the floor. Once again he sat on the end of the bed and looked out over the water. He had never seen the lake from this side before. He tried to relax. He fell backwards onto the bed and stretched his arms up over his head, lacing his fingers he rested his head on his hands. He inhaled and exhaled loudly. He had grown up in New Rawley, lived here his whole life and he suddenly felt like a stranger in his own town. He felt alone.  
  
  
The knob clicked and the door swung open. The student was clad in a leather motorcycle jacket that Will recognized instantly. Will watched as Jake struggled to back into the room, a backpack in place, a carry bag in each hand and a smaller bag housed between her teeth. Jake turned around and startled at the sight of Will standing in her room. Her eyes widened. She stared back at Will who was now moving towards her. "Give you hand with that?" Will asked as he automatically reached for the bag in her mouth.  
  
She surrendered spitting the bag into Will's outstretched hand. " Will? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I guess we're roommates." Will held out his hand. "Krudski, AhWill, nice to meet you." He smiled hoping that she soon would do the same.  
  
"What?" Jake dropped the bag from her right hand and reflexively took his had in hers. She continued to stare. Will looked down at the hand daintily gripping his and then looked up into her eyes. "Will, what's going on?"  
  
" Think scholarship. I'm this years charity case." Will smiled.   
  
Jake broke the silence and turned around toward the empty single bed hoisting her bags on top of it. "Roommates?" She looked confused. "You're going to Rawley now?"  
  
Will lost his grin and the excitement he had harbored all morning quietly fluttered away. "You're upset."  
  
"I'm surprised...I guess. I'm confused."  
  
"I'm sorry. I thought you'd be happy that I was going to be here too. I can help you with, you know, with your secret." He lowered his voice and motioned his hand toward her recently changed appearance. "I really didn't have any idea that we would be sharing the same room. That was a big surprise to me to. But..a good one." The grin returned to his face.  
  
"This was supposed to be a single. Don't worry...I'll get this straightened out and be out of your way in a minute."  
  
"You're not in my way...yet." He winked.  
  
"Why didn't you mention this last night?" She whispered.  
  
"It never came up. Are you really mad?"  
  
Jake consciously lowered her voice another octave and played with her bangs, pulling them down over one eye. "I'm gonna go...and check out the problem with the room." Jake walked toward the door. She stopped and turned around one more time before exiting, not bothering to answer his question.  
  
"Be careful." He said as she turned to leave.  
  
"Careful?"  
  
"You shake hands like a girl." Will chuckled.  
  
  
"I really should go down to the admissions office, I really shouldn't be here...with you." Jake turned the knob and opened the door. She was startled again to find another young man, shorter and slightly more disheveled looking. In Jake's opinion he looked dumb and rich. He remained frozen in front of her, his arm still poised, just about to knock.  
  
"Hey..." He said.  
  
"Hey" She replied in a deepened voice.  
  
"Scout Calhoun...I guess we're neighbors. I have the single next door."  
  
"Will...Will Krudski." Will interrupted...taking the lead. Will approached Scout extending his hand. "Nice to meet you. This is my roommate...ah..." Will hesitated.  
  
"Jake...Jake Pratt." Will looked at her and nodded his head approvingly.  
  
Scout shook hands with Will and then extended his hand toward Jake. Jake looked at it...and then at Will. "I gotta go. Nice meeting you Calhoun." Jake passed him in the doorway avoiding the handshake. Will covered his mouth with his hand to keep Scout from seeing the smile on his face.  
  
Scout walked into the room uninvited. "This room is perfectly feng shui."  
  
"Funk what?"  
  
"Feng shui...the Chinese art of placement. The doors face east...the windows face north...I mean if your into that kind of thing."  
  
Will nodded in agreement although he was completely puzzled. A knock on the door distracted them both.  
  
"It's open." Will called out.  
  
Hamilton opened the door and walked in. "You've got to see this." Hamilton hurried to the window and looked down below, Will and Scout followed. Below the window a mix of students from both Rawley Academy and Rawley Girls were running toward the lake most clad only in their underwear.  
  
"Now this wasn't in the brochure." Will said clutching the window frame to steady his gaze.  
  
"This is good old Rawley rite of passage boys." Hamilton said pointing at the groups. "The boys school...the girls school."  
  
"Gotta love tradition." Scout replied.  
  
"We should go join 'em." Hamilton slipped his thumbs into his shorts and was at the door in his boxers in seconds. "You coming?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" Will asked.  
  
Scout and Will looked at each other briefly and then headed for the door while simultaneously shedding their outer wear. Opening it they found Jake on the other side. Her eyes opened wider at the sight of them.   
  
"You coming Pratt?" Scout said.  
  
"Ah...I think I'm a little overdressed for wherever it is you're going." She said.  
  
Will stopped. "You guys go ahead...I'll catch up." Hamilton and Scout ran down the hallway.  
  
"What's up? You look pissed." Will said to her.  
  
"Yeah...apparently Scout Calhoun is Senator Calhoun's son. The senator requested a private room for his son so that he could better concentrate on his studies!"  
  
"So...that means you'll have to stay here." Will said, not too disappointed.  
  
"Yeah...for a little while. Listen Will...I'm sorry. I really am happy to see you here. You just caught me off guard a little...and right now, I'm supposed to be on my guard all the time."  
  
" It's OK. So did you find a place to stash your bike?" Will asked.  
  
"Well, after six schools you get a handle on those things." Jake answered. "I'm not really supposed to have it here...so, don't say anything about the bike. OK?"  
  
"No problem. I'm like a Swiss vault. I can keep a secret." Will said hesitating slightly. "Any secret..."  
  
Jake turned around to face him. "Thanks Will. I mean it." She automatically reached out for his shoulders and drew him to her.  
  
"Whoa..." Will said not wanting to...but backing away...."You've got to start being really careful, as of now."   
  
"You're right." She said nodding her head. " So, are you planning on putting some clothes on soon Krudski. I have my reputation to protect."  
  
Will suddenly remembered he was only wearing his boxer shorts. Equally as sudden, he remembered Jake was a girl. He grabbed his jeans, slipped them on and turned his back to her as he zipped them up. "Sorry." He said, as he turned around his cheeks flushed pink.  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Jake and Will found their way to the Common Room. It was a comfortable room where the Rawley students could hang out or entertain students from Rawley Girls. A large screened TV and selection of "tasteful" movies lined one wall while a chess board, ready for strategic play lay on a table. The opposite walls housed hard bound editions of the classic works of Shakespeare, Walden and Thoreau. They relaxed for a while challenging each other with games of Nintendo but Jake clearly had the upper hand.  
  
"Your mother seems really nice." Jake said.  
  
"She is...she's really great. Sorry about the pictures. She insists on photographing every potentially historical moment in my life." Will exhaled casually.  
  
" It's cool. Years from now you can look at those pictures and maybe you'll remember me."  
  
"I'm thinking I will probably be doing that even without a picture." Will grinned as the blush took over. "So where did the name Jake come from? I would have expected Jack...Jacqueline."   
  
"Jake was my grandfathers name. My mother's Dad. He kinda raised me when I was little...when my mother was away touring. He died when I was twelve."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Me too...he was a really cool guy. He was my family. But, after that, my mother continued to work and rather than leave me alone we have this really cool housekeeper...Consuela who lives with us."  
  
"What about your Dad?" He asked cautiously.  
  
"I don't know much about my father. My mother doesn't talk about him anymore. All I know is that his that she met him when she was in school. They fell completely in love. she got pregnant, and things changed between them. I've never met him.  
  
"Well, having a Dad isn't all that it's cracked up to be...you know?"  
  
"Are you glad that your Dad didn't come to orientation today?"  
  
"Yeah...I am. But, I wish my mother didn't feel like she has to lie for him. 'He's not feeling well today...'he's really tired'. What she should have said was, he was really drunk and he was really hung over. I hate it when she lies for him" Will sounded angry and it worried Jake.  
  
"She just wants to protect you Will...protect your feelings"  
  
Scout and Hamilton walked into the room, still in their boxers.   
  
"Well I guess that was the public humiliation part." Scout said with a slightly crooked smile.  
  
"Your embarrassed? I live here! I know these people." Hamilton said to Scout. Scout chuckled as he seated himself on the couch next to Jake. Hamilton took a large overstuffed chair and bounced himself down on it, resting his head on the back in feigned exhaustion.  
  
Jake knew, as a boy, she couldn't stare at him. But, he was gorgeous. She couldn't see past his mesmerizing blue eyes. She watched him as he lifted one knee and settled it over the arm of the chair. Will took note of Jake's reaction.  
  
"Have you two met?" He offered.  
  
Jake was on her guard once again. She looked over at Hamilton. "Where's your room?" She asked.  
  
"Right next to the Dean and his wife...AKA Mom and Dad." Jake felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Will noticed the worried look on her face. "Don't worry...I'm not a narc or anything. Hamilton...Fleming." Hamilton leaned over and extended his hand to Jake. Having no choice she took his hand in hers and shook, squeezing as hard as she could. "Oww. Easy man." Hamilton took his hand back and settled himself into his chair. Jake's mouth was so dry it prevented her from speaking.   
  
"Ham this is Jake he's my roommate." Will felt himself emphasize the "he" trying to remind himself that to the rest of the world Jake was a boy.  
  
"Hi." Hamilton gave a little wave. There was something about Jake that caught Hamilton's eye.   
  
Scout snatched the baseball cap from Jake's head. "Cool cap. You like the Yankees?" He asked as he looked at the logo.  
  
"I guess." She answered.  
  
Without warning, Scout casually brought the cap toward his nose and sniffed it.  
  
"What are you doing?" She said grabbing the hat back from him.  
  
"It smells good." Scout said. He looked at Jake and felt a slightly uncomfortable connection. "Um...I didn't mean...uh..."  
  
"It's OK." Jake nodded.  
  
"No...I meant..."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"I just meant..." Scouts face flushed.  
  
"It's cool." Jake said as she took the cap back and pulled it onto her head.   
  
Scout fidgeted on his side of the couch. He crossed his left leg over his right then thinking better of it...he lowered his leg so both feet were again on the floor. He let his knees fall open in what he thought was a typically male pose. He looked over at Jake...but turned his head quickly back when she turned to look at him. Finally, feeling too uncomfortable...Scout excused himself and returned to his room. "I gotta get going too." Hamilton said as he stood to leave. "Scout thinks his Dad might pay to rewire this place. It'd be great. The computers will be like twenty times faster. Mmmm....Guess I'll see you guys around."   
  
"Cool." Will said, not really interested.  
  
"Yeah." Jake replied thinking that she could probably do that herself easier and cheaper. Hamilton caught Jake's eye as he turned to leave. She felt his stare course through her producing a slightly uncomfortable heat. He smiled at Jake and then turned to leave. Jake's eyes followed Hamilton as he walked out of the Common Room door. When he was clearly out of sight, and out of earshot, she looked over at Will to find him staring back. "What?" She said to him. "He's cute."  
  
"Gee, I was just thinking the same thing." Will said sarcastically. He was surprised to feel a slight twinge of jealousy.  
  
"Cute...yes. But Hamilton Fleming could put a serious crimp in my plans. Cute or not...he is someone I really have to avoid."  
  
"Bummer." Will said...smiling.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Later that night Jake and Will finished settling into their shared room. Jake covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a yawn. She was tired from the long day but she was apprehensive about her new sleeping arrangements.  
  
"Tired?" Will asked.  
  
"I guess. It's been a long day."  
  
"I'm gonna hit the sack." Will moved toward his bed. Without thinking he unzipped his jeans and let them drop to the floor.  
  
"Whoa...you sleep in your underwear?" Jake asked.  
  
Will half turned and smiled at her. "Not usually...." He winked. "But, I will tonight."  
  
Jake blushed. Will climbed into bed and began what would become a nightly ritual of beating his pillow into submission and rustling around to find just the right position.  
Jake walked toward the closet. She turned off the light as she opened the closet door and stepped inside just a little and pulled the door partially closed. Feeling protected she pulled off her sweatshirt and reached under her tank top to remove the corset that she had already become accustomed to wearing. Will heard the Velcro pull apart. She slipped on a pair of gym shorts and headed for her own bed.  
  
"I was going to ask what you did with them." Will chuckled.  
  
"Shut up." She giggled.  
  
Jake sat up in the bed with a pillow propped at her back and looked up at the darkened ceiling. The clock on her nightstand illuminated the late hour. She reread the letter she had written to her mother.  
Hey Mom,  
Just a note to say I'm here. I miss you and guess what? I just might be fitting in. I guess that's all. I'll see you when I see you.  
Love,   
Jacqueline  
She folded the letter in thirds and carefully enclosed it in the envelope. She daintily ran her tongue across the glued edge and sealed it shut. She looked at the Rawley emblem defiantly glaring back at her. "Well, this will tell me if she even reads my letters." She placed the envelope back into her notebook and dropped it onto the floor as she stretched out on the bed. Her body felt tired but her mind was racing and prevented her from sleeping. She glanced over at Will and listened to the faint sounds of his rhythmic breathing. At least he doesn't snore. She thought to herself. Jake's mind wandered. She wondered if this would be it. If she would finally gain her mother's attention this time. Jake continued to toss and turn. She let out a long slow exhale hoping to calm her mind and her body.  
  
"Can't sleep huh?" Will whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry...did I wake you?"  
  
"Not really..." There was a long silent pause. "So...what's it like?"  
  
"Being a guy?" She asked.  
  
"No...I pretty much have that covered. What's it like where you live...in New York?"  
  
"It's OK. Busy."  
  
"You really miss your Mom don't you?"   
  
"Yeah. I guess."  
  
"But Jake, is this whole charade really worth it?"  
  
"I hope so. I just want to remind her that I'm still here. Even if she's mad at me for doing this...negative attention is still better than no attention."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Are you happy that you're here?" She questioned.  
  
"Yeah. All I can ever remember thinking is how much I wanted go here. How much I wanted to be one of you."  
  
"You wanted to be girl?" Jake laughed.  
  
"Funny. No. My whole life has been about limitations...what I couldn't have. I wanted to be one of the entitled. I wanted to have all the opportunities that the Rawley guys had. Instead of waiting on them at the diner. I wanted to be the one who was waited on. I thought it would make me a better person...help me get out of here."  
  
"And now?" She asked.  
  
"I'm here because I got a scholarship. I'm still waiting tables. I'm still waiting on them. Those guys seem to have everything that I think I want. Nothing's changed...at least not yet."  
  
"Having everything...as you put it, is not that great. I grew up in a big house, a really big, empty house. I had lots of things Will, but those things didn't make me happier or a better person. I can pretty much buy what ever I want. I just have to call my mother's financial advisor and he cuts me a check and I go to the computer store or the bike shop and pick out what I want. It sounds great doesn't it?" Jake exhaled again.  
  
"Well...to a kid who has very little to start with...it doesn't sound that bad." Will smiled.  
  
"The only problem is the one thing that I really want...I can't buy. I can't buy time with my mother. So, this is my way of trying. By switching here to Rawley Academy for Boys, I'll finally know if she even bothers to read my letters. If she even cares."  
  
"Aww Jake...I guess I know how you feel. It hurts to see what you want right there in front of you and not to be able to get it."  
  
"Well, this time I'm sure it will work. It has to." Jake said as she rolled over to face Will's bed. "And Will...?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Thanks again." She said sincerely.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For keeping my secret. For everything you did for me yesterday. It really helps to have someone here that I can talk to...and be really honest with. I don't feel quite so alone now."  
  
"No problem. Now, get some sleep. We have crew early in the morning and I hear Mr. Finn is a real slave driver."  
  
"Good night Will." She said.  
  
"Night Jake." He said turning over in his bed. For the first time in a long time...Will didn't feel quite so alone either.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
  
The muted click of the door startled Will into semi-wakefulness.  
  
"Hello?" He called out.  
  
"Shhh...Will. It's me."  
  
"Jake?" Jake approached Will's bed and bent down keeping her voice hushed.  
  
"Sorry. I wanted to take a shower."  
  
Will squinted his eyes to focus on the glow from his alarm clock. Five-fifteen AM. "It's still dark." He said, punching his pillow and scrunching it under his head.  
  
"I know. I have to get up before everybody else so...you know...so that the other guys aren't in there too."  
  
"Right..." He turned to face the wall closing his eyes and preparing for at least another two hours of sleep.  
  
Jake stood up and headed for the closet. She fished through her bags and pulled out her clothes for the day. She gracefully slipped off the baggy sweatpants and tossed them aside. She replaced them with a pair of lacy, pink panties and covered those with a pair of plaid boxer shorts. "Ugh!" She said softly to herself.  
  
Will turned over restlessly. He yawned again and opened his still sleepy eyes, squinting slightly as he adjusted them to the faint light of dawn. He could see Jake's silhouette partially obscured by the closet door. He focused on her.  
  
Jake tossed the warm-up jacket she'd covered up with on the bed. She was facing into the closet, topless and Will found himself smiling unconsciously. He was mesmerized by her perfectly sculpted back. Envisioning the smoothness of her skin...he felt he could almost touch it. She reached her arms around and fastened the hook on her bra. She bent down and picked up the corset. She exhaled. She wrapped the binder around herself and patted down the Velcro. Jake slipped on a T-shirt and covered that with a flannel over-shirt. She took a pair of jeans from a hanger on the closet. Will thought to himself if the "girlie" handshake didn't blow her cover hanging up her jeans on a hanger certainly would. He smiled again.  
Jake held up the jeans in front of her. They were at least two sizes too big but experimentation had proven that if she pulled the belt tightly enough around her slender waist she could attain the "bulkiness" she was looking for.  
  
Jake looked at her reflection in the mirror. She fussed with her hair. The masculine reflection stared back at her. She crooked her arms at the elbows and tightened her fists. She pumped her arms...looking for her elusive biceps. Smiling she lowered her arms in front of her attempting her best "he-man" pose, complete with a grunt. Will tried not to laugh as he continued to stare completely absorbed in the vision.  
  
Jake emerged from the closet and glanced over at her peacefully sleeping roommate. Not wanting to wake him again she softly tiptoed out of the door.  
  
When the door clicked shut. Will reopened his eyes. He stretched his arms over his head and found himself smiling...but he wasn't exactly sure why.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Afternoon gentlemen..." He approached them looking like no other teacher on campus. "My name is Finn. No mister is necessary." He walked passed the crew team and stunned them all by not stopping until he was waist deep in the water. "What?" He turned back to them hushing their collective giggles. "It's time to throw convention out the window...get ready for the greatest summer of your lives"  
  
Will glanced over at Jake. He smiled thinking this very well could be a great summer. She returned the look.  
  
"Well? Any one gonna get in the boat?" Finn questioned.  
  
  
"Two man...you're going into the water to early!" Jake called out in her much practiced lowered voice. The early morning sunlight danced across the water. The peacefulness cut only by the oars of the rowers.  
  
Will watched her as she took command. He was impressed by her strength, not her physical strength but her inner strength. It took a lot of guts to do what she was doing. He admired her for it. Her voice seemed unnatural to him now. He found himself smiling when he heard her use it. It elated him to think that he was part of her secret. She trusted him. He liked that feeling.  
  
"Remember, I'm not just here to teach you how to be a kick ass crew team...But to edify you in the superstars of literature...like Faulkner...like Shakespeare...and Hemingway and Steinbeck. Those guys had passion...let me tell you a little something about passion. It doesn't come from here..." Finn pointed to his head. "It doesn't come from here..." He pointed to his heart. "It comes from right here." He grabbed his crotch and Jake laughed. They pulled the boat into the dock and disembarked. "That is it for today, gentlemen. Go forth and conquer." Finn said. The crew practice lasted into the early part of the afternoon. The members of the team dispersed after what was to become the customary English/Crew "pep-talk".  
  
"He's just a little weird." Jake whispered to Will.  
  
"He's kinda cool though...best teacher I've ever had." Will responded. "I'm gonna hit the showers...you?"  
  
"Ah...No..." She smiled. "I'll see you back in the room." Will ran a step or two to catch up with the other members of the team.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"I gotta go to work." Will said as pulled his uniform shirt over his head.  
  
"Oh." Jake sighed trying not to sound to disappointed. "Okay...well maybe I'll see you later?"  
  
Will headed toward the door. Once opened he paused and turned back to look at Jake. "You want to come by the diner later? Maybe grab a burger or something?"  
  
"Nah...I hear the food is really greasy and the service there is awful."  
  
"Funny." He said smiling.  
  
"Maybe." She said sounding happy to be included. "If I don't get a better offer."  
  
"I usually get a break around seven."  
  
"It's a date." She said smiling. "Ah...well, you know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah." Will responded. Will smiled as he shut the door behind him and headed to Friendly's.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Will cleaned the counter in front of him with a damp rag. It had been a slow dinner shift and the tips seemed light this evening. He briefly thought about the binoculars he had planned to buy but now, he wasn't sure if he'd bother.  
  
Scout came out from the kitchen carrying a rack of clean glasses. "Where do these go again?"  
  
"Next to the other ones." Will pointed, shaking his head as he gave the obvious answer.   
  
Scout emptied his hands of the glassware and turned back to look at Will. "OK boss...what's next?"  
  
"Tell me again why are you working here? Because I know it's not the lure of financial security." Will said as he jingled the change in his pocket.  
  
Scout smiled. "I promised my Dad that I'd get a summer job. He thinks it'll be good for me, 'work ethic' or something like that." Scout busied himself sorting silverware into a tray.  
  
"Shouldn't you be trying out for the debate team or the mock trials or something like that? Wouldn't that look better on your college transcripts than a summer spent scooping ice-cream at Friendly's?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"So, do you have future aspirations to be a politician like your Dad?" Will asked. "I heard you had some pretty impressive test scores on the entrance exam."  
  
"Yeah..." Scout lowered his eyes. "About those..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look Will I've got to confide in someone..." Scout said with a pleading look on his face.  
"I didn't really do as well on that test as you think."  
  
"Come on man, third highest in Rawley history. That's unbelievable."  
  
"I know. But, the truth is...I...um..."  
  
"What?" Will prodded.  
  
"I cheated...OK? I cheated on the exam. I bought a copy of the test on-line"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Shhh...look Will the only reason I'm telling you this is because I know that you signed up to be a tutor and you're probably pretty smart...and well, I'm probably gonna need some help if I'm going to pass this session."  
  
Will stared at him blankly. "Why?" Will asked.  
  
"Because I suck at geometry." He answered.  
  
"No...not why do you need a tutor...why did you cheat?"  
  
"Because I suck at geometry. " Scout grinned. "Seriously...Because I had to get in. I couldn't be the first Calhoun to break tradition. My grandfather went to Rawley...my father went to Rawley...do you see a pattern developing here? It's expected that I go to Rawley too."  
  
"So you cheated to get in."  
  
"Sort of." Will looked at him delving for a more honest answer. "Okay...yes." Scout admitted. "But, you can't tell anyone...Okay?"  
  
Will looked through him at first. He understood how hard it was to want to please your parents...to please yourself. How much it could hurt when you didn't feel like you'd lived up to the expectations. "Okay." Will conceded. "I'll take it to the grave. I promise. So, I guess the answer to the first question is YES." Will asked.  
  
"What question?"  
  
"Are you interested in pursuing a life in politics...because buddy...you're half way there."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
The bell on Friendly's door jingled announcing Jake's arrival She was noticeably overdressed for such a warm night, but only Will seemed to take notice. She sauntered toward the counter and took the empty seat on the corner.   
  
"Hey." Will greeted her.  
  
"Hey." Jake smiled at him. "So, what's good here, I'm starving."  
  
"Besides the help?" Will smiled.  
  
Will's thoughts were interrupted by the bickering he heard coming from the other end of the counter. He looked down to see Scout arguing with one of the customers. "Hang on a sec..." He said as he left her and took the opportunity to rectify the situation. He put one hand on Scout's shoulder. "Scout...this is Frank. Frank doesn't want a cappuccino...he wants a burger."  
  
"Badly" Frank said. Scout nodded and walked back toward the kitchen to place the order.  
  
Will waited until their meals were prepared before moving them to an empty booth. They were quiet at first...staring at each other awkwardly.  
  
"So, what's up?" He asked between bites.  
  
"Not much. I finished my essay for Finn's class."  
  
"Already? I haven't even started mine." He said.  
  
"Well...I was bored. You and Scout were both working tonight."  
  
"Awwww no one to play with?" He chuckled.  
  
"Something like that." She toyed with the french fries on her plate to keep Will from seeing the blush that was slowly creeping over her cheeks.  
  
Jake finished her hamburger and pushed the plate away in a "manly" fashion. "Dessert?" Will asked.  
  
"I shouldn't..." Jake said gently patting her stomach. Will cleared his throat, bringing to her attention the girlish gesture she was making.  
  
"Ah..." She corrected herself. "Bring it on!" She said loudly.  
  
Will smiled as he left the table. He returned a short time later with a gigantic goblet of ice-cream covered with sauces and fruits and mounded with whipped cream.  
  
"Oh my God." Jake said, her eyes opened even wider as Will set the sundae in front of her. Will climbed into the booth beside her.  
  
"Don't worry..." He whispered. "I've called for reinforcements." He held up four spoons. Jake exhaled a sigh of relief.  
  
Scout joined them, seating himself across from Jake and dug in heartily. "Hi Jake, who's the fourth spoon for?" He said all in one breath with a smudge of chocolate syrup dripping from his chin.  
  
"Bella." Will answered.  
  
Jake turned her head like a jealous wife. "Who's Bella?" She asked. Jake felt her heart skip a beat. It hadn't occurred to her until now that Will might have a girlfriend.  
  
"Bella Banks. Charlie's daughter." Will started to explain...for the benefit of Scout. "She's a friend of mine. Her Dad owns the service station across the street," he said pointing out the window. "Bella and I grew up together. We went to the same elementary school...and well, we've just 'bonded' through the years." He smiled. "She cried on my shoulder, on the bus, the whole way to school first day we went to Kindergarten. We've been buddies ever since."  
  
Scout chuckled, "You didn't cry Will, on your first day of school...leaving home?"  
  
Will hesitated, "...I think I would have cried if I had to stay at home."  
  
Will was silent for a moment and Jake noticed. The jingle announced the next customer. A beautiful young girl approached the table. Her long blonde tresses hung down covering her bare shoulders. Her features were delicate and feminine. She was someone that you would have had to look twice at. Jake instantly felt self conscious about her own appearance.  
  
"Hey Bella." Will greeted her. "Guys, this is Bella Banks, my best friend in the whole wide world..." He said dramatically.  
  
Bella smiled and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Bella...this is Scout Calhoun..." Scout looked up from the ice-cream long enough to wave. "And Jake Pratt. Jake and I are roommates at Rawley."   
  
"Poor Jake." Bella smiled. Jake smiled back.  
  
"Alright pump girl..." Will laughed, "Have a seat."   
  
"Hi." Jake said in her deepened voice.   
  
"Hi, nice to meet you both." Bella seated herself next to Scout. "OK...where's my spoon." She said. "I can't stay too long. Grace is watching the station for me but she won't stay long." Bella rolled her eyes.  
  
"Grace is Bella's sister." Will added. Jake nodded. Bella looked up, the spoon still in her mouth and stared at Jake. Jake caught her eye and smiled back at her then continued with her ice-cream.  
  
"So, Jake, where are you from?" Bella asked.  
  
"New York."  
  
"Cool." She said. Bella found herself staring unconsciously at Jake between spoonfuls.  
  
"Your family runs the service station?" Scout asked.  
  
"My Dad actually, he's a mechanic."  
  
"And so is she..." Will interrupted. Bella blushed when she smiled.  
  
"Really?" Jake asked.  
  
"Not really...but I can hold my own under the hood of most cars." She answered.  
  
"And...motorcycles?"  
  
"What about 'em?"  
  
"Can you fix them too?" Jake asked.  
  
"Depends. We don't get many in here...but I'm sure I could."  
  
Will lowered his voice. "Jake's got a bike stashed here at Rawley but it's all very 'hush--hush'." Will winked.  
  
"Must be cool being the only guy on campus with a motorcycle." Bella said. Will took note of the smiles and the blushes Bella was producing as she flirted with Jake. He leaned back in the padded seat of the booth and smiled. This could be interesting. He thought to himself.  
  
The goblet was finally empty. "Well...some of us have to get back to work" Will said.  
  
"Ah, take your time man." Scout offered as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.  
  
"Thanks...but you need to get back to work too, Scout. It's time to start practicing some of that work ethic."  
  
"Right...boss." Scout excused himself and Bella stood up allowing Scout to exit from her side of the booth. Bella re-seated herself in Will's spot...next to Jake. Bella glanced out of the window at the garage. "Mmmm things seem OK...I'll stay and keep Jake company for a few more minutes."  
  
"Great." Jake said. Jake felt an instant attraction to Bella. She wasn't sure what it was but she felt like she could easily be best friends with this girl. Jake felt as if she'd known her forever. She already felt closer to her than she'd felt to anyone else she'd met so far...except of course, for Will.  
  
"So, Jake what do you do?" Bella asked, obviously changing the subject.  
  
"Do?"  
  
"You know...for fun...what do you like." Bella clarified.  
  
"Oh. Just the usual guy stuff. Football, wrestling, drag racing...that kind of stuff."  
  
Bella looked at her and they both burst out laughing. "Seriously, drop the he-man charade and fess up." Jake coughed. She was stunned that Bella had caught on to her secret so easily. "All guys say that kind of thing at first...then when you really get to know them you find out their favorite movie is like Pretty Woman."  
  
Jake was relieved. "Well, Julia Roberts was totally hot in that." Jake smiled and Bella beamed.  
  
"OK, the truth is I'm a computer geek, I like to read mostly and watch movies, but mainly old ones. My mother is an actress." Jake said, feeling somewhat cleansed by her honesty.  
  
"Wow, really? What movies has she been in?" Bella asked intrigued.  
  
"No, she's a stage actress. Theater...you know, she acts in plays and stuff. She was in CATS on Broadway and she's played Lady MacBeth in three different languages."  
  
"I've never seen a play, I mean a real one. Will and I did see the junior high school version of Guys and Dolls a couple years ago...but that's about it."  
  
"That's a great one." Jake said smiling back.  
  
"Favorite old movie?" Bella asked.  
  
"Easy...Bringing Up Baby. I love Katherine Hepburn." Jake answered "And yours?"  
  
"The Way We Were." Bella answered. "Hey...you know they just restored an old drive-in near here. It opens tomorrow night. Do you want to go?"  
  
"Yeah...sure." Jake said. Will approached the table and cleared it of the remaining glasses and silverware.  
  
"Hey Will, Bella and I are going to the drive in tomorrow night. Do you want to come?" Jake asked.  
  
Will looked at Bella who had a look in her eyes like she was willing Will to say no...and then at Jake who's eyes pleaded for him to say yes. "Oh..yeah. Wouldn't miss it." Again he smiled...but mostly to himself.  
  
"I've got to get going." Bella said getting up. "So Will, we'll see you tomorrow night then?"  
  
"Yes, you will." Will nodded. And they both watched as Bella left the restaurant.  
***********************************************************************  
The three were perched side by side like birds on a wire. They were silenced by the darkened night. The illuminated screen holding the steady gaze of their eyes...but each of their minds were elsewhere.  
  
Will turned and looked at Bella who was seated in the middle. He'd never paid much attention to how pretty she'd become. He looked past her to Jake. God she's beautiful, he thought.  
  
Bella turned to glance at Jake who was seated to her left. She was mesmerized by his look. He had such gentle features coupled with such a strong personality.  
  
"This movie is so romantic." Bella leaned in and whispered to Jake.  
  
"It's creepy, she's a witch." Jake replied.  
  
"Two people, completely fall for each other under the worst possible circumstances and they go for it." Bella said.  
  
"Oh look, it's a full moon." Will interrupted feeling slightly left out.  
  
"Oh yeah...look at that" Jake responded. Jake looked up at the moon and then inadvertently glanced in Will's direction. There was something about him...something about Will that made her feel safe, that made her feel comfortable. He'd been nothing but the perfect gentlemen around her and she was starting to wonder if that was enough.  
  
"Actually, it's a full moon tomorrow night." Bella corrected.  
  
"Thanks for the update." Will returned his eyes to the movie in front of him.  
  
Jake suddenly felt uncomfortable between the two 'best friends'. "I'm going to go...and get some jujube's. OK..." Jake left the lawn chair and headed for the concession stand, if nothing else, to compose her thoughts and get a breath of fresh, tensionless air.  
  
Bella turned to look at Will. "God...I thought he'd never leave." She started.  
  
"What do you mean?" Will asked looking confused.  
  
"I mean...you've got to tell me everything...do you think he likes me?" I thought I got those vibes...but...am I confusing signals...he's so hard to read. But, that's kinda what I like about him."  
  
"Yeah..." Will said. He was thinking of all the reasons he had found to like her too.  
  
"Can you talk to him for me?" Bella asked.  
  
"No. I mean...bad idea." Will looked away.   
  
"What...you talking to him...or us getting together?"  
  
"I don't know..." Will answered. "I just don't see it...the whole thing." Will's head was spinning. He was amused at Bella's attraction to Jake, at first. But now, he was wishing he had the right to tell her the truth. But he had made a promise to Jake...and he couldn't break it...at least not yet. He couldn't believe that he was having feelings...jealous feelings toward Bella because she liked the guy that he himself really liked. Oh God, what am I thinking!  
  
"Trust me Bella, he's not your type." Will tried to explain.  
  
"And what exactly IS my type? Another townie, a local? What, I'm not good enough for your new, high class, Rawley friends? Is that it Will? She sighed.  
  
Bella..." Will said, "That's not what I meant. Of course you're good enough, you're great. Any guy would be lucky to have you even glance his way...just not Jake."  
  
"Really..." Bella said looking indignant that her so-called best friend wouldn't help her out. She moved farther from him and seated herself in what had been Jake's chair.  
  
Jake finally returned without the candy. She took the empty seat in the middle and wondered what had happened in her absence.  
  
"They were out..." Jake said smiling.  
  
Jake looked up at the screen. She had lost interest in the plot and now was only conscious of the stares from Bella, on her left, and Will, to her right. Jake wondered if there were any, not-so-platonic-feelings, between Bella and Will. She had the urge to reach out and take his hand in hers. But, she knew she couldn't. She wondered if Bella would be jealous if she found out that Will was rooming with a girl. She thought about the fact that she was rooming with a guy. A really handsome guy. A really intelligent guy. A really great guy. And again, she found herself smiling.  
  
Bella couldn't keep her attention focused on the screen. She was a little angry with Will for not coming to her aid...as she felt she would have done for him. She felt Jake sitting next to her. She just couldn't get him out of her head. She wished she could have reached out and held his hand. She wondered what this evening would have been like if Will hadn't decided to accept Jake's invitation. She wondered if she and Jake had been alone...if things would have been different. The thought made her smile.  
  
Will settled into the lawn chair. He forgot what was happening in the movie. He could feel Bella seething at him but, he knew, when the truth came out...she'd understand. He glanced sideways at Jake who was now sitting next to him. His knee was touching her knee. He wondered if she felt it through her jeans. He wondered if Bella hadn't been there if he would have been bold enough to reach for her hand. He smiled just thinking about it.  
  
The night air was filled with tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. At first they tried to ignore it and when that didn't work they just hoped the movie would end soon.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Jake had changed for bed and was now nestled beneath the covers. "Well, that was fun." She said.  
  
"Is that what you call it?" Will replied.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. Never mind."  
  
"So...you and Bella have been friends a long time, huh?" Jake asked changing the subject.  
  
"Forever."  
  
"Did you and Bella ever...uh...?" Jake was trying not to sound like she was prying for information when she was.  
  
Will laughed ."Me and Bella? No, besides I was too busy lusting after the school nurse." Will answered  
  
"She was hot?" Jake asked in boy fashion.  
  
"Not really, she weighed about 300 pounds...but there was something about that uniform." He smiled. "I love Bella, but I think we're just afraid of losing what we have. We have a great friendship and neither of us would ever want to lose that."  
  
"Wow. I'm envious. The only person that's been in my life for any length of time is our housekeeper." Jake smiled at first but it soon faded when she realized the truth in her statement.  
  
"I guess Bella and I are...I don't know...kindred spirits or something. She's the only girl that I've ever had in my life." Will stopped clearing his throat, "until now. We're connected. Fate introduced us one day and we've just sort of always been there for each other. And believe me, there have been some tough times."  
  
Will finally turned off the light and settled himself into bed.  
  
"Bella's had some hard times?" Jake asked cautiously.  
  
"Yeah. Her Mom left on her sixth birthday."  
  
"That's a real happy childhood memory." Jake said, not meaning to be sarcastic. She actually felt a little sad for Bella.  
  
"Her mother walked out on them leaving Charlie to take care of Bella and Grace by himself. Bella hasn't seen her mother since."  
  
"Yikes. That is rough. "My mother's hardly ever around but, she does pop into my life now and then...between performances."  
  
"I spent a lot of nights sleeping over at Bella's house."  
  
"Really. That's so...Dawson's Creek."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Never mind"  
  
"Charlie used to let me stay over night at their house whenever things weren't so good at mine, which was pretty often. Bella and I used to stay up half the night and talk. Sort of like this..." He smiled. "We used to think about what we were going to do or be when we grew up. You know stuff like that."  
  
"And...what was that?" Jake asked.  
  
"Well, when she was six or seven she was always planning her wedding...she was going to marry some knight on a white horse and ride off into the sunset with him. They would have tons of children...and she said she would never ever leave them. As she got a little older her plans would change a little, she wanted to be a teacher for awhile, then a nurse, then a mechanic...like Charlie" He smiled at the old memories...something he hadn't really thought about for a long time.  
  
"And now?"  
  
"Now, I think she just wants to be happy."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I was going to grow up...and move away." Jake heard the sadness in Will's voice.  
  
"I'm glad you're here." She said sincerely.  
  
"I'm glad I'm here too." He said looking over at her.   
  
"Thank God it's the weekend...I'm gonna sleep really late in the morning..." Jake rolled over to face the wall.  
  
"Will punched at his pillow and buried his face into it. "Goodnight...Jacqueline." He whispered.  
  
" 'Night Will."  
***********************************************************************  



	3. Chapter 3

Part III  
  
The class lay strewn about the grass covered hill listening to Finn lecture on the works of Browning. Jake lay lengthwise, legs stretched out comfortably keeping Will well within her sights. Hamilton was curled up next to Caroline...a new student he was hoping to impress. Will sat with his back against a tree enjoying the slight breeze as it whispered through the trees. Scout took a space on the lawn near him...with a clear view of Hamilton.  
  
"Hamilton..." Finn said as he tried to revive Hamilton's attention to the topic at hand and off of his intended conquest.  
  
"Yeah..." He looked up startled.  
  
"So...you like these coed classes?" Hamilton nodded his approval.  
  
"Ah huh..." Finn continued turning his attention to Scout who was laughing heartily at the interruption. "Scout...had a crush lately?"  
  
Will grinned...watching the uncomfortable look on Scout's face.  
  
"Ah...Maybe?" Scout answered.  
  
"What poem...no, what song makes you...feel?" Finn asked.  
  
Scout thought for a moment..."I Try...Macy Gray."  
  
"Let's hear it..." Finn said totally putting him on the spot. "You don't have to sing it, just recite it."  
  
"OK.." Scout looked down trying to remember the words. "I keep my cool, but I'm fiending, try to say good-bye and I choke, try to walk away and I stumble, though... I try to hide it, it's clear...."  
  
Scout's words were cut off..."My world crumbles when you're not here." Will accidentally said out loud. He looked around at his other classmates. "What? It's a good song." He said now embarrassed. He looked at Jake...who was smiling back at him.  
  
"Those words comfort us, because we personalize them. Now, let's personalize Browning. Mr. Fleming..?  
  
"Umm maybe what Browning is saying is that...even the strongest armies and empires can be wiped out no one can stop people from falling in love."  
  
"Spoken like a hopeless romantic." Finn said. Jake looked over at Will. Will looked back at Jake. Scout smiled and glanced at Hamilton. And Hamilton...stared at Caroline.  
  
  
Crew practice was mercifully coming to an end. Will's waterlogged sneakers would take hours to dry. The only plus he could see in this team activity was the opportunity to look at Jake as the coxswain of their team  
The boys dragged the boats out of the water and docked them on the damp sand. "You know Will, I had no idea how much fun this rowing thing was going to be." Jake said with a smile.  
  
"Spoken like someone who doesn't have to actually row." Will answered. He seated himself in the sand and then fell backward feigning exhaustion. His arms felt like jelly. "I really need a shower...badly."  
  
"I know." She smiled. "I'll see you later.  
  
The hot water beat down on him and caused him to relax. For just a moment...he forgot where he was. He imagined himself gliding across the top of water. He could feel the oars in his hands. He saw Jake sitting in front of him barking commands. His vision changed. Jake was seated in the front of small row boat. She was wearing a dress. She was smiling at him. He was lazily floating on the lake...with Jake. He smiled.  
  
"Krudski!"  
  
Startled, Will opened his eyes.  
  
"Man...where were you?" Scout asked from the adjacent shower stall. He leaned over the partition with a head full of shampoo perfectly sculpted into two bunny ears.  
  
"Nowhere..." Will was glad that the heat of the water had already reddened his face. Scout and Will had spent so much time together in the past few week and Scout was beginning to feel like the little brother Will always wished he'd had.  
  
"Hey Will, you and I...well, I feel like I can trust you.... Can I ask you something? It's kinda personal." Scout asked in a hushed tone.  
  
Will's mouth fell open nervously awaiting the Scout's next big confession. "I guess so. Yeah." Will said somewhat hesitantly.  
  
"Do you know much about Hamilton?"  
  
"Fleming?" Will asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like...do you know him. I mean...really know him?" Scout lowering his voice even more.  
  
"Not really. I mean we grew up in the same town. But, he never went to my school...and I really only met him a few days ago. Why?"  
  
Scout whispered to Will. "I think...I think maybe he likes me."  
  
"I've seen you guys hanging out together lately. That's great. He seems like a cool guy."  
  
Scout cleared his throat. "No..." Scout's voice was barely audible now..."I mean likes me..likes me." Scout raised and lowered his eyebrows.  
  
Will's mouth fell open. "OK..." he drew out the word making a valiant effort not to look or sound shocked. "And...?"  
  
"And...nothing really. I was just wondering if you thought so too."  
  
"Are you....?"  
  
Will turned the water off and began to towel off.  
  
"No! Absolutely not!!" Scout said raising his voice for the first time.  
  
"I'm missing something." Will said looking confused.  
  
"I guess I mean...I don't think so. I don't really know. I haven't really played for either team...YET."  
  
Will chuckled. "So what makes you think....ah...what you're thinking."  
  
"We've been spending a lot of time together and we get along really well. We've been having fun."  
  
"And that makes you gay?" Will said forgetting to lower his voice.  
  
Scout turned the water off and also began to towel himself dry.  
  
"Shhhh! Keep your voice down!" Scout yelled.  
  
"Sorry. And that makes you gay?" Will repeated, whispering.  
  
"No. But it makes me curious. Sometimes he looks at me with those electric blue eyes and well, I can't help wanting to..."  
  
Will cut him off. "You know what...I've gotta change and get to work." Will wrapped the towel around his waist and headed for the locker room. Will passed Hamilton in the doorway. "Hey Ham." Will said.  
  
"Hey Will...how's it going?"  
  
"Yes...I AM going..." Will said as he sped up and left, letting the locker room door bang shut behind him.  
  
"Hey Calhoun..." Hamilton said as he waved to Scout. "Are you leaving?"  
  
Scout hesitated. "Ah...no. Just got here. " Scout removed his towel and turned the warm stream of water back on.  
  
***********************************************************************  
They passed quietly through the darkened stairwell that led to the roof. The sunlight from the opened door blinding them temporarily. "Do you really think that you can alter the Cable TV?" Will asked as always, impressed by her knowledge of all things technical.  
  
"It can't hurt to try."  
  
Will held the door to the rooftop open allowing Jake to pass through first. "How chivalrous Mr. Krudski." Jake said as she smiled at him.  
  
"Right...I gotta watch those things."  
  
"Yeah...well your safe, this time. It looks like we're alone."  
  
"In that case...shall I carry your backpack Miss Pratt?"  
  
"I got it." She smiled back at him.  
  
Will directed Jake to the small turret that contained most of the fuses and wiring for the main dormitory buildings. "Yikes..." She said as she looked into the opened door at the massive loops of cables. "This could take a while..."  
  
"Aren't you hot?" Will asked noticing the tiny beads of perspiration around Jake's hairline.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why don't you take off your sweatshirt? It's like eighty degrees right now."  
  
"Eighty-four...I looked."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So...I'd love to...but all I've got on under this is a pink tank top."  
  
"Nobody ever comes up here..." Will said enticing her.  
  
"And you know this...how?"  
  
"Trust me...it's safe."  
  
Jake looked around the deserted rooftop. "Well, maybe just this." She said as she reached underneath the navy hooded sweatshirt and unfastened the confining corset. Will heard the tear of the Velcro and looked on as she carefully maneuvered it out from under her clothes. "God, that's better." She tossed it into the top of her backpack.  
  
Jake set back to work in the cramped space. Using some smaller tools that she had brought up with her, she attempted to splice a wire or two hear and there. She reconnected blue wires with green wires while Will stood by watching her in awe. Jake wiped her hand across her flushed face. "Man it's hot in here."  
  
"Nobody ever comes up here." Will reminded her again.  
  
She looked at him. "Are you sure?"  
  
Will nodded his head affirmatively...hoping he was right. Jake looked around again. She was slightly apprehensive at the thought of being that vulnerable, but soon the heat took over her thoughts and won out. She pulled the sweatshirt off over her head giving Will a clear view of her 'not so masculine' body.  
  
"Wow..." Will said, "And to think you have all the others fooled." Jake smiled at the comment.  
  
"Come on, we can't stay up here all day." Jake said.  
  
"I wouldn't mind." Will responded, blushing slightly at his own words.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
Jake was silent as she stared into Will's eyes. Will stared back and carefully reached out to let his hand caress the softness of her cheek. At first, Jake froze at his touch but seconds later, she felt herself begin to melt. Will took a step closer still staring into her eyes. Willing the moment to continue. They had forgotten the rest of the world existed...until...  
  
The door to the rooftop opened suddenly and then banged loudly as it shut behind Scout and Hamilton. "The problem is that there is a total miscommunication between guys and girls. When a girl says...I really, really like you, what she means is; I'm ready for commitment...are you? When a guy says I really, really like you, what he means is...I want to have sex with you." Hamilton laughed and Scout chuckled as well.  
  
"It sounds like you have a lot of experience in this area." Scout said amused.  
  
Will pushed Jake just inside the confining space and pulled the door almost closed. He left it open just a crack and was able to see the two boys standing on the roof top.  
  
"Sure...no one ever comes up here." Jake whispered into Will's ear. Her warm breath on the side of his face served only to excite him a little more. "Damn..." She said slowly. Will turned his head a little to look at her. "My back pack..." She motioned to the outside. Will saw the bag sitting just out of his grasp.  
  
"Shhh" He mouthed putting his finger to his lips.  
  
Jake stood on her tiptoes and placed her hands on Will's shoulders gaining the balance she needed to see past him and through the cracked door to the wall where Scout and Hamilton were heading.  
  
Hamilton walked toward the wall that surrounded the rooftop. Scout was hot on his heels. "It'll be great if your Dad can help us get the connection we need...it'll be like twenty times faster." Scout nodded as he hung on each of Hamilton's words. Scout smiled at Hamilton's take on the differences between guys and girls.   
  
Hamilton stood looking out over the stone wall. He unbuttoned his pants and Scout heard the sound of his descending zipper. "What are you doing?" Scout said as his eyes opened wider.  
  
"I gotta pee." Hamilton replied. Scout turned his head away at first, but a moment later decided to steal a quick peek.  
  
"Oh God..." Jake said as she lowered her eyes and rested her forehead against Will's shoulder. "I didn't need to see that."  
  
"Shhh..." Will reminded her through his own grin. "It's a 'guy thing'." Will concentrated on the feel of her hands on him. He felt a shiver run through the entire length of his body.  
  
"And like when a girl says, what are you doing this weekend? What she really means is I want you to hang out with me instead of your friends. When a guy says what are you doing this weekend? What he means is...I want to have sex with you."  
  
Scout smiled broadly and nodded his head.  
  
Hamilton zipped up and turned back to Scout, not missing a beat of the conversation.  
  
"And also, you know like when a girl says...I want to know where this relationship is going? What she really means is...I'm hopelessly in love and I pray that you are too. But, when a guy says I want to know where this relationship is going...what he really means is...."  
  
"I want to have sex with you." Scout said in unison with Hamilton. Scout was overwhelmed. He looked into Hamilton's sapphire blue eyes and was immediately taken over by thoughts he couldn't control. Hamilton had no choice but to return the intense stare. Scout moved a step closer and turned his head slightly sideways...lessening the distance between Hamilton's lips and his own.  
  
Realization hit Hamilton just as contact was made and he took a giant step back. "What the..." He backed further away.  
  
"Oooh...Oh God...I'm sorry..." Scout turned multiple shades of crimson as be backed slowly away, watching Hamilton as he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand."I'm sorry." Scout repeated with now nervous laughter. Scout turned away and quickly headed for the door.  
  
Hamilton swallowed hard as he processed the event. He was unsure of what just happened here...but he knew he was uncomfortable with it.   
  
Scout quickly hustled down the steps and proceeded to conquer the length of the school corridor with his cheeks on fire. "Oh my God...I think I'm gay!" He said to himself.  
  
Once he was gone...Hamilton also headed for the door. BANG!  
  
Will and Jake waited in silence for a few minutes, just to be sure they were gone.  
  
"What was that all about?" Jake whispered.  
  
"It's a long story..." Will answered.  
  
"Will? Scout and Ham...are they...?" She said making a twisting motion with her fingers.  
  
"Oh yeah." He smiled.  
  
Jake's hands were still on Will's shoulders. She moved them slightly and let them gently wander down the length of his back and rested them on his hips. The shiver Will felt earlier returned. Jake reached around his waist and squeezed, pulling him back into her. Will relaxed. He turned in the circle of her arms to face her.  
  
"Where were we?" She said. "Before we were interrupted."  
  
"Will grinned and extended his hand running his thumb down the line of her jaw and placed his hand behind her neck.   
  
"Right here..." He pulled her lips in to meet his...for the first time.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Jake dressed while simultaneously dialing her cell phone. She crooked the phone between her chin and shoulder and pulled her pants on.   
  
"Hey...Consuela. It's Jake...eh Jacqueline. Yeah...is Mom there? Oh...she left again...Hollywood....oh. No, no...I'm glad the role came through. No...I'm sure she meant to call and tell me." Jake fastened the Velcro corset around her chest. " No, it happens...it happens." She pulled her T-shirt on over her head in one fluid movement never missing a beat of the conversation. "Right. Yeah, I will. I miss you too, Consuela. Bye." Jake clicked off her cell phone. She exhaled loudly in an attempt to compose herself and her thoughts. She paced for a moment...back and forth in the small room. She looked around at the dark oak dressers, the matching royal blue bedspreads, the pale blue painted walls. "God...where's the pink of it all?" She muttered smiling at her own thoughts and then settled herself in front of her computer.  
  
Will knocked once and then opened the door to their shared dorm room. "Hi" He said from the doorway.  
  
"Feel free to barge right in." Jake said sarcastically stopping Will in his tracks.  
  
"Ah...sorry." Will hesitated keeping his hand on the door.  
  
Jake was sitting at her desk with one knee bent up resting on the chair. She looked up at him and smiled. "Kidding...." She said. "You don't have to knock you know, it's your room too." Jake rested her chin on her knee and returned her gaze to the computer screen in front of her.  
  
Will shut the door. "Well...just in case you were changing...or getting changed...or...never mind." Will approached her from behind. He bent down as she looked up at him. He kissed her gently on the lips. Jake broke the kiss and fixed her eyes on her computer screen again. "What's wrong?" He said recognizing her gloomy mood.  
  
"Nothing." She answered.  
  
"Yeah, right." Will said as he leaned on the edge of the desk. He was quiet for a moment waiting to see if she would open up to him without provocation. When she didn't...he pursued the issue. "Come on Jake...tell me?" He asked again.  
  
"She's in Hollywood."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My mother." Jake answered. "She's working in Hollywood."  
  
"Well, she's an actress, right? So, that's good, isn't it?"  
  
Jake looked up at him. "It means she never read my letter. She didn't come to Rawley to take me home. She hasn't called. My mother, who should probably have her cell phone surgically implanted, hasn't called me. She probably called her agent...and the director...and the script writer. Hell, she's probably called the make-up artist on the set. But she hasn't called ME!" She was upset...but past practice helped keep her tears in check.  
  
Will was drawn to her. Drawn in to both her inner beauty and her outer strength. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to hold her. He looked down at her but couldn't find the words that would make things better in her life. Instead he opened his arms wide and invited her into them. Jake hesitated at first...then leaned forward and allowed herself to be enveloped in his embrace.  
  
"I just feel like she doesn't care. She's all I have Will...and if she doesn't care about me...then no one does."  
  
Will tightened his grip on her. "That's not true..." Will said as he kissed the top of her head. "I care." She looked up into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them.  
  
"You do, don't you?" She said.  
  
"Yeah, I do." Will pulled back just enough to draw her mouth to his.  
  
The door opened without warning and Scout was stood in the doorway with a clear view of Jake and Will still wrapped in each others arms. His mouth fell open. Scout looked down quickly, backed out and then slammed the door shut.  
  
"Damn." She said nervously. "That's not good."  
  
"I mean, he can't think...what I think he's thinking. Could he?"  
  
"What?" Jake said sarcastically. "That we're gay? No, he couldn't think that about you. The tower of testosterone, the monument of masculinity..."  
  
"Funny. I better go talk to him." Will said heading for the door. "Are you gonna be OK?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm gonna be just fine." She smiled.  
  
"You go ahead, go into town like you planned. I'll try to do a little damage control with Scout."  
  
Jake nodded and Will headed for the door.  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Come on Scout...I know you're in there. Open up, it's Will." Will knocked again. Finally Scout relented and unlocked the door.  
  
"Look man, .I'm sorry. I had no idea. Really. I should have knocked. I should have waited. I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey...Scout...slow down." Will said attempting to get a word in edgewise. "It's OK. It's not what you think."  
  
"Yeah right. Look...when I was pouring my soul out to you...why didn't you just 'come out' to me then. Just tell me that you're gay. It's OK. I'm fine with that. You totally dig boys."  
  
"Wait! Wait...Back up like five hundred feet!" Will protested. Scout was finally silenced. "I don't like boys...in that way. I am so not gay." Will tried to explain but right now he couldn't think of what to say to Scout that wouldn't divulge Jake's secret. He figured...in this case...Jake would have to understand.  
  
"Look...Scout, I've gotta tell you something, but you have to promise not to be pissed off at me...all right?" Scout looked at him questioningly. Will inhaled and mustered the courage to just blurt it out. "Jake's a girl."  
  
"She's a WHAT?" Scouts eyes opened with confusion.  
  
"A girl."  
  
"Oh. OK." Scout responded without thinking. He processed the information carefully and then shook his head. "Wait...what are you talking about?"  
  
"It's true Scout."  
  
"Will stop it..."  
  
"You don't believe me? Really, Jake is one-hundred percent female. She's obsessed with Sarah Mac Lachlan...she has a subscription to Seventeen, her favorite nail polish is 'Barely Pink'." Scout took a step backward away from Will shaking his head in disbelief. "And, she thinks she looks fat in bikinis." Will said widening his eyes as if to put the icing on the cake.   
  
"Oh my God." Scout said at first opening his eyes wider. Then in typical male fashion he punched Will in the arm. Scout smiled. "That totally slipped by me."  
  
"Yeah, well look...you can't tell anybody...OK? No one on campus knows except me and now you. You have to promise to keep it that way."  
  
Scout smiled broadly. "Yeah sure man...OK. This is so Hardy Boys."  
  
"Meets Nancy Drew." Will said.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Jake sat on a wooden bench outside the front door of Friendly's. She put the few small bags she had down and gave herself ample room to sit back, relax and savor the ice-cream cone she'd just purchased. The day was hot and the humidity threatened to devour her sweet treat before she did.  
  
"Hi Jake." Bella said suddenly appearing before Jake's eyes. "How are you?"  
  
"Hey Bella, What's up?" Jake consciously lowered her voice and sunk down in the seat spreading her knees apart in an attempt to offer a more manly pose.  
  
"I had a really good time the other night."  
  
"Ahh, yeah, me too." Jake felt slightly more uncomfortable as the strawberry ice-cream dripped down over her hand.  
  
"I think we really connected."  
  
"Ummm yeah, I guess so." Jake replied hesitantly.  
  
"I think you're really cool Jake and I hope we can hang out again." Jake shifted nervously on the bench as Bella leaned in towards her.   
  
"Let me help you with that." Bella offered. Before Jake could think, Bella leaned over and licked the dripping mess from Jake's fingers. Jake froze.  
  
Unannounced, Charlie suddenly appeared startling them both.  
  
"Hi, Daddy. This is Jake. I told you about him."  
  
Jake felt increasingly uncomfortable as she felt her face turning several shades of crimson. She had been caught twice in one day and she knew better than to let her guard down so easily. She wished the sidewalk would open up and swallow her whole, but when that didn't happen she took in a deep breath and prepared herself. She looked down at first, hoping that Charlie wouldn't recognize her right away. Jake stood up, moving the ice-cream cone from her right hand to her left, wiped her sticky hand on her jeans and then extended that hand and spoke in a practiced low voice."How are you doing Mr. Banks? Jake Pratt, it's nice to meet you."  
  
Charlie thought for a moment. He stared intently at Jake. The name alone made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up "Nice to meet you too...Jake Pratt." He said hesitantly.  
  
For a moment Jake thought that her charade had ended. She looked up noticing Charlie's eyes pierce through her. Oh my God, he recognizes me, she thought.  
  
"Pratt...Mmmm" Charlie nodded his head.  
  
"Dad...Jake lives in New York and his Mom is a famous actress." Bella's mood turned a little from sad to a little more excited. For Bella, being this close to Jake was almost like being that close to a real celebrity.  
  
Charlie turned away from Jake and towards Bella. "I think I've heard of her. Bella, I need your help at the station, honey."  
  
"I'll see ya when I see ya." Bella smiled at Jake, lowered her eyes and then turned on her heels and headed back across the street toward the gas station.  
  
Both Jake and Charlie watched Bella until she was out of sight. Charlie gave Jake another intense stare. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to hang around with Bella." Without further discussion Charlie followed Bella's lead and he headed for the gas station leaving a confused Jake sitting alone with a sticky, melting mess. Jake dumped the now empty sugar cone into the trash, picked up her bags and headed back toward the dorms.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Knock-knock-knock  
  
Scout got up from his desk where he was pretending to study and went to the door of his dorm room. He opened it partially to find Hamilton peering in from the other side. Hamilton grabbed at the edge of the door and pushed it further open. Scout ducked in reflex. "Look, I gotta make something very clear. The other day..." Hamilton lowered his voice as he entered further into the room, "when you kissed me, I could have decked you. But I didn't. But if you ever try that again, I will. Because that's not who I think I am, I mean I know I am...I mean I know I'm not...who you think I am. Get it?"  
  
Scout's faced was masked in his usual look of confusion. "Excuse me?"  
  
Hamilton continued, "Look if you're gay that's...whatever, that's fine. But it's not my bag. OK? So, I'm gonna go now...see ya." Hamilton backed out of the door keeping a watchful eye on Scout who stood motionless. He pulled the door closed as he exited leaving Scout standing alone in the center of his room.  
  
A moment passed. "What isn't wrong with this picture?" Scout smiled.  
  
***********************************************************************  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV  
  
"That's it!" Jake exclaimed as she tossed her bags on the floor and collapsed onto her bed.  
  
"What's it?" Will asked.  
  
"I'm never leaving this room again."  
  
"Really?"   
  
"Really."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"Sure I would. Try me."  
  
"Bella...your friend Bella, Charlie's daughter Bella..."  
  
"Right...I know who Bella is Jake. What about Bella?"  
  
"She came on to me. Out in the open, in front of Friendly's, she came on...to me."  
  
"What?" Will's eyes opened wider than even he thought they could. He now wished he had been there to witness this monument us event instead of smoothing things over with Scout.  
  
"You heard me. And, if that wasn't bad enough, Charlie actually caught us! I can't believe I let this happen!"  
  
"Caught you? What were you doing...exactly?" Will scratched his head.  
  
"Will...God, your such a guy! We weren't doing anything. Charlie got all freaked out and when Bella left, he told me I shouldn't be hanging around his daughter anymore."  
  
"Huh, that's odd. So tell me again, what were you and Bella doing?"  
  
Jake grabbed the pillow from under her head and tossed it hard at Will nailing him directly in the side of the head. "Oh, that's right...nothing."  
  
"Damn it Will, this is getting too weird. This whole thing isn't gonna work. If I get caught they could arrest me for fraud or something." Jake said trying to catch her breath.  
  
" Just Breathe Woman!" Will said.   
***********************************************************************  
  
Jake walked through the center of town carrying a small banded bunch of daisies in her left hand. Will made her realize how ridiculous the thought of closing herself off from the world was and convinced her to go and talk to Bella. Bella was someone that she felt a "girl-type" connection with and she hated the idea of losing the possibility of her friendship. She just had to concentrate on "turning Bella off". Jake was reluctant to be seen riding her bike on the off chance that Charlie might recognize it. Bella had mentioned that they didn't get many motorcycles in New Rawley and assumed Charlie would easily spot hers. Jake walked up the two steps and pushed the screen door open allowing herself access to the office of Charlie's Gas 'n Tow. She hadn't really thought of how she would explain or even apologize to Bella. She'd never really been in the situation of fending off an amorous female before. She had no plan of what she was going to say. She hoped that it would just come to her.  
  
"Mr. Pratt." The deeper voice called from behind him. "I thought I made myself clear to you yesterday."  
  
"You did, sir. I was just hoping to see Bella and...um...explain stuff. That's all." Jake held up the flowers hoping that Charlie would see that Jake's intentions were admirable.  
  
"Jake...sit down."  
  
"I remember when your mother went to Rawley Girls, Jake."  
  
"You knew my mom?"  
  
"I remember her very well. We were close, your mother and me. Too close. I was married to Bella's mom, Donna then, and she had just found out that she was going to have a baby... Bella. We hadn't been married long and it was really hard. Donna and I were born here and it's hard growing up in this town. Rawley kids seem to have everything that you think you want. Sometimes the two sides do get together, but the results can be...upsetting." Charlie watched Jake and could tell that she was fighting the urge to understand what he was implying. "When your mother came to me and told me she was pregnant, well I didn't know what to do. I considered my options, I really did. I just felt like I didn't really have any. I had to stay with Donna. I had my family here to consider. So you see Jake, you and Bella can't be together."  
  
Jake's mouth fell open. She stared back at the man who claimed to hold her paternal heritage and was dumbstruck. She felt the walls closing in on her and felt the flowers fall from her hand to the floor. Jake's breathing quickened and she thought her pounding heart would leap out of her chest. Air Jake thought...I need air. Jake leapt up from the cushioned seat and bolted through the screen door running straight into Bella.  
  
"Hi Jake." Jake couldn't even think straight.   
  
"I gotta go." Jake said barreling past her.  
  
"But you just got here."  
  
"I gotta go." Jake was gone leaving a bewildered Bella in her wake. Confused and disappointed Bella stepped in through the garage door and saw Charlie sitting on the bench wiping his bandana across his eyes.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Jake's motorcycle raced down the dirt path and through the woods. She didn't know where she was headed but she knew she needed to ride. The wind pushed against her face and echoed in her ears keeping her from hearing her own thoughts. I should leave Rawley. I should go back to New York. I should never have come here. My father.  
The front tire hit a rock in the road making Jake lose control. She brought the bike to a grinding halt and stood for a moment, catching her breath. She dropped the kickstand into place and dropped her body onto the grass. Her trip hadn't taken her as far as she would have liked. She sat and watched the sparkle on the lake's glassy top. She peered across, looking at the sandy bank that led to Rawley Academy. Will's view, she thought. Jake closed her eyes reliving the previous hour in her head.  
  
"Can I assume things didn't go as you'd planned?" Will stood behind her walking his bicycle.  
  
"You could say that." She answered choosing not to open her eyes. Will dropped his bike to the ground and settled himself next to her on the grass. He reached out and ran his hand over her cheek. Jake felt comforted by his touch, opening her eyes to gaze up at him. "You aren't going to believe what I'm going to tell you." She said and she took the time to fill Will in on what she had learned.  
  
"You're kidding?"  
  
"I kinda wish I was. Man, fate plays some pretty strange games with your life. Of all the schools in the country...I pick the one town where my father and sisters just happen to live." Jake shook her head and lowered her face to rest on her knee, still unable to accept it all.  
  
"Did you talk to Bella?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Have you told your mother yet?" Will asked.  
  
Jake raised her head and looked at Will, "What exactly am I gonna say? Hey Mom, I met this girl at school, her name is Bella. And guess what? Her father is my father too."  
  
"It's so...Jerry Springer." Will grinned at first hoping to lighten Jake's mood. It appeared that it wasn't working. Will reached out and put his arm around her and pulled Jake sideways into him. "It'll be OK Jake, I promise." Will craned his neck and kissed her gently on the lips.   
  
"Ah-hem." The sound of a girl clearing her throat startled them both.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?" Will asked.  
  
Long enough to know." Bella answered. Jake and Will exchanged worried glances. After a long pause, "Jake and I need to talk."  
  
"Well, that's my cue." Will exhaled as he stood. He picked up his bicycle and headed down the dirt road leaving the two girls alone. Bella said nothing at first. She walked past Jake and went to the waters edge. She backed up and leaned against a wooden post and looked back toward Jake. Jake followed her lead and joined her leaning against a matching post. The girls inadvertently stared at each other, each of them looking for a sign, for a resemblance. Something...anything that would confirm or deny what they thought to be true.  
  
"Well, I guess good looks run in the family." Bella said feeling brave enough to speak first.  
  
"That's not funny."  
  
"So, who's laughing?"  
  
"What do we do now?" Bella asked.  
  
"I don't know, it's so out of our hands."  
  
"You're my brother Jake."  
  
" Ah yeah... about that." Jake hesitated. "Bella, there's something else you should know."  
  
"It's OK, I already know."  
  
"You do?" Jake looked surprised.  
  
"Yeah, I saw you and Will kissing. So, you're my brother and your gay and you're in love with my best friend, the one guy that I've loved for my whole life. It's a lot to process...but I'll manage."  
  
Jake laughed. "No...Bella, I'm not gay. That I promise you."  
  
"What, you just had a sketchy moment but now it's over?"   
  
Jake inhaled. "Actually Bella. " Jake exhaled. "I'm a girl."  
  
Bella looked at her now totally confused. "What? Come on Jake."  
  
"Really, look I'll prove it to you." Jake looked around and seeing that she and Bella were completely alone and out of view, Jake reached under the black shirt she was wearing and removed her corset. Bella watched as Jake's obviously female figure filled out the front of her shirt. "And these, " she said pointing at her chest, "are not fake."  
  
Bella took in a long breath and slowly exhaled. Her head was spinning. Jake watched her eyes hoping for some reaction. "I can't believe this is happening."  
  
"I know. But Bella, you've gotta believe me...I never came here to do this, to hurt you or your family. I never knew. It was all just...coincidence. Fate I guess."  
  
Bella nodded. She wanted to be angry with Jake and blame her for the problems between her parents but she knew Jake wasn't responsible for what her mother had done years ago. She wanted to be angry with Charlie for allowing all this to happen but she understood that sometimes...things just happen. She looked at Jake again. "Any suggestions?" She smiled.  
  
"Friends?" Jake said extending her hand.  
  
"Friends. Definitely." Bella replied meeting Jake's hand. They were silent for a moment as their hands met. Unsure of who pulled in first...they met in the middle and exchanged a very sisterly hug.  
  
Bella accompanied Jake as they walked around the lake back to the dorm area of Rawley Academy. The long walk had provided them with the opportunity to catch up on the recent events of Jake's life, her mother and the reason that she was attending Rawley Academy as Jake Pratt. Bella told Jake about Grace and Charlie and expounded on some of her own favorite childhood memories. Jake stashed her bike behind the groundskeepers shed. "Ill walk back to town with you." She offered.  
  
Jake and Bella sat in the window seat that looked out onto Main Street. Jake was calmer now, more relaxed. Her secret was safe with Bella, at least for the moment and she no longer had to be cautious about her voice or her mannerisms. "Is Charlie gonna freak if he finds me here?" Jake asked.  
  
"He'll be Ok, eventually. It's a big shock to him too."   
  
Jake flipped through a new issue of Seventeen magazine Bella had given her. "Can I tell you how much I miss this mindless crap." Jake chuckled. "Listen to this, Is Your Man Moving To Fast? Or how about this one...Lose Ten Pounds Overnight Without Dieting, Yeah right, and here's another, Secret Crushes And Lost Loves."   
  
Bella looked at Jake from the opposite side of the seat. "Does he know?"  
  
"Does who, know what?"   
  
"Will. Does he know about us...and that you're a girl?   
  
"Yeah, but he kinda found out in reverse order." Jake laughed but Bella didn't.  
  
"Is he Ok with all of it?"  
  
Jake looked puzzled. She wasn't sure what Bella was asking. "Is he Ok with what, us being related or me being a girl."  
  
"Both I guess."  
  
"I don't know, we haven't had much time to talk about it yet." Bella nodded her head in response. "Are you Ok with it?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah." Bella smiled. "I'm gonna be."  
  
"And speaking of Will, I should be heading back to school. It's really late. He's probably wondering where I am right now."  
  
"Yeah, he probably is." Bella lowered her head.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Will was seated on his bed with his back propped back against a pillow. He was half-reading a book but found it hard to concentrate. He looked at the clock again. Finally the door clicked open.  
  
"It's late Jake, I was worried about you." Will asked as Jake entered their dorm room.  
  
"Sorry, " Jake said, although not sounding sincere.  
  
"How'd it go with Bella?"  
  
"Pretty good actually, better than I would have thought. It's a lot to grasp, for both of us."  
  
"For all of us. Is she really upset? Is she Ok?"  
  
Jake looked at him, her expression stating the obvious. "She was, but I think she's starting to accept it." Jake noted the look of concern in Will's eyes, the sound in his voice. She had never noticed it as clearly as she did now.   
  
"Come here." He said as he patted the empty spot on his bed. Jake thought for a moment and then joined him, seating herself with her back to him.  
  
"That's much better." He smiled. He placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back against him. Jake took the moment to relax and clear her head. She liked laying there, next to Will, feeling safe, feeling like she belonged. Will leaned over her and gently pressed his mouth to hers. "I'm glad that you're back." He smiled kissing her again. "Did I mention that I missed you?" Jake responded to Will's lips. She turned wrapping herself in his arms. Will pulled up the bottom of the shirt she was wearing and drew lazy circles on her back. "Jake..." he whispered softly into her ear. She allowed his hands to reach up even farther under her shirt, his touch warming her. He pulled at the Velcro of her corset...the sound echoing in the stillness of the room.  
  
"Mmmm" she cooed. She pressed her mouth against his neck and ran her tongue in circles around his ear. His shirtless frame held her tightly. Will skillfully pulled Jake's shirt off over her head and sighed as her satin covered breasts rested against his own chest. He nuzzled at her neck and planted soft sweet kisses down the length of her throat.  
  
As Jake moved around to kiss him again...she heard Bella's voice in her head: you're in love with my best friend, the one guy that I've loved for my whole life. Jake stretched back and sat up on her knees.  
  
"What?" Will asked looking surprised. Jake stared at him in silence. Her head spun slightly as the puzzle pieces in her mind fit together. She's the only girl that I've ever had in my life.   
  
Jake got up from Will's bed. "It's been a really long day, you know. I'm really tired."  
  
"Ok..." Will said a little perplexed.  
  
Jake fell onto her bed without bothering to change her clothes. Her stomach was in knots and her head suddenly hurt. Will loves Bella and Bella loves Will. She thought about it over and over again in her mind. Bella was her sister. Her family. Jake had feelings for Will, she knew she did. How could she ever knowingly pursue a relationship with the one guy that her own sister admitted to 'being in love with for her whole life'? Jake stared up at the ceiling. Now what was she going to do? She thought  
  
***********************************************************************  
Will walked down to the docks, it was early and he was surprised to find Jake already gone when he had awoken. He saw her slight frame near the waters edge as she replaced the oars she had been using. "You're up early."  
  
"Yeah, " Jake said already feeling uncomfortable.  
  
"Look Jake, I'm sorry." Will said apologetically.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry if I pushed things. I don't want to do that. It's just...it's just that..." Will licked his lips and lowered his head to meet hers. Jake stepped back out of his reach.  
  
"Will, please...anyone can see us." She carefully avoided eye contact. "Look Will, I'm the one that should be sorry. I should have known better. I should have stopped. I'm sorry if I misled you. I didn't mean to do that. I never meant for it to get this far. I really appreciate everything that you did to help me get into Rawley but your reputation could be at stake here...and so could mine. I have to be really careful." She had rehearsed the speech repeatedly as she floated on the water at dawn. She had to push Will away. She needed to give Will and Bella a chance to be together. She needed to do it for her sister...she needed to do it for Will...and she needed to do it for herself. She was strong and independent. The fates had dealt her an unfair hand but she was still willing to play the game. She was happy to hear the words spew forth from her lips as she'd planned.  
  
"Wait...what?" Will said questioningly.   
  
"I shouldn't have let this...us...get this far. I'm gonna end up hurting you and that's not what I want. Really. You've got to believe me." She finally looked away from the boat that she had been so carefully pouring out her heart to and looked at him. She hoped her eyes would give him some sort of confirmation that she was sincere. "Look, I'm gonna be out of here really soon and I don't think it's fair of me to use you or your feelings like that."  
  
"I..." He stopped and thought about what to say. Will's mouth opened but no words came out. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and started again "It sounds like you're breaking up with me...and what's really funny about that, is that I wasn't really sure that we were together...until now." He smiled hoping to make light of the whole subject.  
  
"Well...I just think that it's better this way, that's all."   
  
"Jake, we live together in the same room. It's going to be hard for us not to see each other."  
  
Jake processed the comment. Realizing the truth she looked up at him. "I don't think we'll have to worry about that for much longer." She picked up the backpack that had been lying on the ground, slung it over her shoulder, leaving Will and the peacefulness of the lake behind her.  
***********************************************************************  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Part V  
  
Will arrived at the dorm after a slow and thought provoking walk back from the lake. He mulled the evenings events over and over in his head and was still confused about what he had done that was so wrong. He considered talking things over with Jake, he was hoping that might help him understand what she was feeling. He opened the door to his dorm room and was surprised to find her packing.   
  
Jake stood at the side of her bed and randomly tossed her belongings into her travel bags. "Hey." She said acknowledging his presence. Will entered the room silently. He moved toward her bed and sat down disrupting her piles of clothes.  
  
"So..." Will started dragging the word out with a questioning tone.  
  
"So..." She responded.  
  
"So..what's up Jake...you're freakin' me out?"  
  
"I'm moving ."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'm moving. I'm switching rooms."  
  
"What? Where?" Will asked.  
  
"I'm moving into Scout's room."   
  
"Wow...that's uh..."  
  
"That's uh...what?" she repeated his words. "He already knows about me."  
  
"Your...moving in...to Scout's room?" Will was completely thrown off by Jake's sudden change in attitude. She seemed like a stranger to him.  
  
"Yeah...what's the big deal?"   
  
"No big deal...as long as Scout's cool with it." Will said attempting to play it cool and casual.  
  
"Exactly...well I guess I'll see you later." Jake picked up her bags and headed toward the door leaving Will dumbfounded for a moment. He quickly collected his thoughts and went into action deciding that "cool and disinterested' didn't seem to be working.  
  
"Jake, wait, at least let me help you with your stuff." Will got up off the bed and picked up the remaining items. He headed toward the now opened door. They both hesitated in the doorway. Will felt as though he had one last chance and he decided that he should at least try. He closed the door and leaned against it hoping to give her time to think more clearly about what she was doing. "You don't have to do this, you know."  
  
"It's for the best."  
  
"Is it?"  
  
"I think so...yes."  
  
"Best for whom? You? Me? Scout?" Will sulked.  
  
"Will...I understand...." He interrupted her thoughts by placing both of his hands on either side of her face. He looked deeply into her eyes.  
  
"Would you just drop it...You're not going anywhere...okay?" He gently stroked his thumb across her lips and lowered his hand to her chin. The knock from the other side of the door startled then both into reality.  
  
"Actually Will, I am. I have to."  
  
Will opened the dorm room door to find Scout standing bag and baggage on the other side. "Hey buddy," he smiled.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Will sat at his desk and sorted through the papers in his notebook. He watched Scout out of the corner of his eye as he rearranged the pictures and ornaments on the top of his dresser for the third time that day. "What do you think?" He said stepping back to admire his work and illicit Will's opinion.  
  
"Whatever."   
  
"Look Will, I'm sorry...I can tell that you're not really happy about this arrangement. We should have talked to you first."  
  
"Yeah...well that would have been nice." Will said and Scout looked genuinely hurt. "I'm sorry Scout. That didn't come out right. It would have been nice if Jake had talked to me before she moved out and you moved in. Actually, it would be nice if she would bother to talk to me at all."  
  
"I think she just needs a little space. It has to be tough on a girl living amidst all this testosterone."  
  
Will grinned. "I guess I never thought about it like that."  
  
"She just needs some time to sort things out. She was a little concerned about blowing her cover here. She was scared of getting caught."  
  
"Maybe. It's just that...I don't know. It was just so sudden." Will let out a long cleansing sigh and returned his eyes to the open book on his desk.  
  
"So, any thoughts on the Cotillion? Are you going?" Scout asked hoping a change in subject would alleviate the tension.  
  
"I don't know. If I go at all it will probably just be a drop by solo thing."  
  
"Could be fun." Scout said knowingly.  
  
"Lots of chicks in taffeta." Will said chuckling.  
  
"Oh yeah, I hadn't thought about that." Scout grinned broadly.  
  
Will picked up his book and headed toward the door. "Well, I gotta get to work." Scout nodded. "So..." Will hesitated. "Did you decide to ask anyone?"  
  
Scout shook his head and dropped his eyes to the floor. "Nah...I think I'm gonna skip it. Besides, the only person I had my eye on is going with someone else."  
  
Will quickly became uncomfortable. He held up The Almanac of American History textbook, showing it to Scout. "Well, I'm history." He quickly and quietly walked out the door.  
  
A few moments passed when Scout heard the faint knock on his new dorm room door. He opened it to find Jake standing on the other side. "Well...do you think he bought it?" She asked looking hopeful.  
  
"Hard to say, he's confused and he's hurt. We'll have to wait and see I guess."  
  
"Well it will work. It has to." She walked away from the door and back toward her newly acquired single.  
***********************************************************************  
  
Will wiped the empty counter with a damp rag. The shift had been long and not very profitable for a warm summer evening. The door bell jingled and Bella walked in. "My kingdom for a coffee." She said smiling.  
  
"That's good because we just changed the price from a kingdom to a buck." He returned the smile.  
  
"Sold." Bella seated herself on the corner stool and watched Will as he poured.   
  
"What's up Will? You seem a little...I don't know, down." She said seeming concerned.  
  
"I'm Ok." He lied.  
  
"You know Bella, you're just the girl I needed to talk to. I have a 'what would you do' question." He set the cup of hot coffee down and leaned on the counter.  
  
"Shoot." She offered.  
  
"At school, there's this Cotillion tomorrow night and there's this girl I really like..."  
  
Bella cut him off mid-sentence. "That's a no brainer. All right you go with someone else and then you ask HER to dance and when she's all putty in your arms...you ask her out." She smiled at him reassuringly.  
  
"Well, that sounds good...but there's just one problem I can't really ask her to dance."  
  
"Jake?" Bella asked knowingly. Will nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah. It's not like the two of you can actually 'trip the light fantastic' dressed in matching tuxedos."  
  
"No...but if I took someone else to the Cotillion as you suggested, a friend...a GIRL friend, maybe that GIRLfriend would eventually dance with Jake and maybe SHE could talk to her for me?" Will exaggerated a pouty smile and looked hopefully at Bella.  
  
"Who did you plan to go with?"   
  
"I could go with you...I mean, would you go with me?"  
  
Bella looked up. "Wha..no, no way."  
  
"Please? Why not?"  
  
"Come on Will, get serious. I do not even go to Rawley."  
  
"I do. We'll go, we'll dance, we'll have fun." He said hoping to entice her.  
  
"What's up Will? You used to laugh at these people."  
  
"I know...but who cares? You'll be there with me. With the right dress, a little soap and water, your hair up in one of those thingies. You'll be so hot." Will came around to the outside of the counter. He stopped for a second and looked at Bella's profile. God, she's beautiful. He thought to himself. There was something there, something he didn't recognize at first...a feeling in the pit of his stomach. He watched her as she dabbed at the grease marks on her face using the napkin dispenser as her mirror. He regretted having said 'soap and water' now feeling responsible for her self-consciousness. He appeared at her side. "Two townies...in the night...amidst a sea of privilege."  
  
"Will..." she whined slightly through her smile.  
  
"Twirling the night away."  
  
"With four left feet." Bella added.  
  
"Come on lets go there and show these people how to have a great time."  
  
"Oh, like we know?"  
  
"Ok, come on. Just do it as a favor to me. Ok?" He asked.  
  
Bella blushed as she watched Will drop down on one knee in front of the stool. "Bella, would you go to the Cotillion with me?"  
  
Bella wanted to go. She wanted to go with Will...as his date but she didn't have the courage to tell him the truth. She knew in reality she'd only be there as his friend...helping him and she was content with that. She hesitated slightly before answering. Then producing an ear to ear grin she said, "Ok, let's do it."  
  
"Alright." Will smiled back at her.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Scout stumbled upon Will alone in the Common Room leafing through the pages of the phone book. "Renting a tux?"  
  
"Yeah." Will answered.  
  
"Cotillion or eloping?"  
  
"Well, if the Cotillion goes well, maybe both." He grinned.   
  
"So...you found a date?"  
  
"Yeah, Bella."  
  
"Good choice."  
  
Will gave him a confused look. "So what about you? Do you rent or do you own?"  
  
"Me? I'm still mooching off the parentals."  
  
"No, I meant a tuxedo."  
  
"Oh. I own."  
  
"Naturally." Will nodded.  
  
"You know what you should do Will?" Will looked up from the phone book. He was always a little cautious when Scout made suggestions. "You should do the dinner jacket thing, like Bogie in Casablanca. Very cool."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"And...I think I can help you out." Scout said with a sly smile.  
  
Minutes later the two boys were back in their room. Will stood, glancing at his reflection in the floor length mirror as Scout sat perched on the edge of the single bed behind him watching him pose. "Well? What do you think?" Will asked straightening his lapels and turning once again to check his profile.   
  
"A shoeless Cary Grant."  
  
"I was thinking more of a gun-less James Bond" Will put his hands together in the shape of an imaginary gun and aimed it at his own reflection. Scout chuckled. "I really appreciate this, Scout. I won't wreck it, I swear."  
  
"I trust you."  
  
"Am I gonna make an ass out of myself?"  
  
"Relax, it's a dance. Old fashioned, more rules, better clothes."  
  
"You think I'll ever actually own one of these?"  
  
"Yeah, I do." Scout paused for dramatic effect. "But, you might need these."  
  
Will looked back over his shoulder and saw the pair of pants that Scout was holding up. They both laughed.   
***********************************************************************  
  
Will knocked once on the screen door of Bella's kitchen before opening it and walking in.   
  
"Hello?" He called out.  
  
"Be down in a sec..." Will sat down and waited at the table. Bella's house was familiar to him. He felt comfortable in it, more comfortable than he felt in his own house. He glanced at the wall leading from the kitchen to the hallway and let his eyes drift over the random array of framed photographs that hung there. Charlie and Bella. Grace and Bella. Bella, Grace and Charlie. He stood up and walked forward for a closer view. Grace splashing in a kiddy pool. Bella waiting for the bus on her first day of school. Bella and Will playing on the porch. He looked closer as that picture. He didn't remember the photo being taken...but he remembered the day. He smiled. Bella blowing out ten candles on her birthday cake with Will standing beside her. He smiled again. He allowed his fingers to gently scan over the picture. The familiar feeling in his stomach returned and he attributed it to slight nervousness he was feeling.  
  
Bella hurried down the steps. "I'm sorry...long story, but I'm ready now." She said as she dropped a tube of red lipstick into her purse. Will looked up. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders and draped down slightly obscuring the thin spaghetti straps of the white satiny dress she was wearing. Will's mouth unknowingly fell open.   
  
"You look beautiful." He said sincerely.  
  
"Yeah, I fix up Ok." She smiled.  
  
"That's the understatement of the year." Will extended his bent elbow allowing himself to escort Bella out through the kitchen door and off toward Rawley Academy.  
  
Rumsey Hall, named for one of Rawley's most prestigious alumni and benefactors, now resembled the ballroom from the Great Gatsby. The walls were draped in organdy fabric and fresh floral garlands enhanced the doorways. White glittering lights hung from the ceilings and the candelabras on the tables helped the room sparkle with a romantic glittery glow. Bella, still on Will's arm, entered the room. "They're all naked," she said under her breath.  
  
"Nervous?" Will said, hearing her comment and smiling to himself.  
  
"A little."  
  
"Don't be, you're here with me." Will squeezed his arm into his side capturing Bella's hand silently offering his support. She smiled up at him. They mingled for a moment watching the parade of wealth and beauty pass by them.  
  
Bella scanned the room. Will was still a 'townie' wasn't he? He couldn't have changed in this brief period of time, could he? She thought. Bella suddenly wondered if she would no longer fit into Will's new world. "Will? Is this what it's like? Is this what it's like to be you now?"   
  
"Bella, this is not me."  
  
"It's so different, it's like it's not even real."  
  
"That's just because you don't fit in."  
  
"What?" She said suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed.  
  
"That's a compliment" He reassured her. "There's not a guy here that's not looking at you. It's Ok that you don't fit in because..." He hesitated, "I don't fit in either." Their eyes locked on each other's. Scout's voice broke the trance.  
  
"Am I interrupting something?" Scout asked.  
  
Will stepped back and shook hands with Scout. "Changed your mind? Or, wanted to make sure that I didn't spill anything on your suit?"  
  
"A little of both. Bella you are a vision." Bella blushed. "How about some punch?" Scout offered his arm to Bella and she reluctantly walked away with Scout toward the sterling silver punch bowls.   
  
"You look nice." A voice from behind him said. Will spun around to see Jake, dressed in a crisp white tuxedo, standing behind him.  
  
An uncomfortable silence expanded from between them. "Look..." They said in unison.  
  
"Jake, I'm frustrated and confused that's all." Will started.  
  
"I know, but you won't be for long. Remember that poem by Matthew Arnold, Self Dependence? The one that Finn talked about in class the other day. He was confused about what he was doing and where he belonged, right? He got his answers from traveling and watching the stars, remember?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Well, he could have done that in his own backyard." Jake looked into Will's eyes.  
  
"Ok." He agreed trying to follow. The music swelled in the background and ended briefly as the dancers clapped and waited for the next melody to begin. The notes from the piano tinkled and the crooners voice echoed in the dimly lit room.  
"....I won't stand in your way anymore..."  
  
"Maybe you need to look in your own backyard." Jake said. Will looked at her. The strength of her words, the impact of her statement suddenly became clearer. It was all making sense to him. Jake smiled once more and then turned purposely brushing her hand against his own and walked toward the terrace. Will looked again toward the dance floor and saw Bella dancing with Scout. His arms wrapped awkwardly around her. Instinctively Will knew where he wanted to be.  
  
"So, you really think so?" Scout asked Bella concentrating more on her words then on his dancing feet.  
  
"Ow..."  
  
"Sorry." Scout apologized as he again stepped on Bella's white sequined shoes. "I don't know what I was thinking coming here."  
  
"Stop thinking, Scout. Sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind. Take the leap while you're still young. I know that sounds so cliche." Bella chuckled.  
  
"May I cut in?" Will asked tapping Scout on the shoulder. Scout backed up a step, smiling. Will held out his arms and easily folded Bella into them. It occurred to him that this was exactly where she belonged. Will and Bella listened to the music and swayed in silence for a few moments. Will leaned down slightly and whispered into her ear. "Do you remember the first time we danced together?" Bella nodded against the sleeve of his jacket. "On the porch...at your house. We were like, seven. Charlie was trying to teach us to waltz. Remember?"  
  
"You've gotten much better since then." She responded. "Scout on the other hand..."  
  
Will hugged Bella tighter to him. "Bella...do you ever pretend...about us?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Resolve to be thyself and he who finds himself loses his misery." He whispered mostly to himself.  
  
Bella slowed and looked up at him. "Will..."  
  
"I think I've found myself with you." He smiled. Bella held her breath. "I've wanted to be with you from the first second I saw you."  
  
"I was what...five?"  
  
"Uh-huh. But I knew...and so did you." Will bent down and brushed Bella's lips with his own. They twirled themselves into the crowd of dancers not noticing anyone but each other.  
  
Standing in the shadows on the other side of the room Jake watched and smiled.  
***********************************************************************  
Hamilton Fleming was Rawley's own answer to JFK, Jr. He couldn't decide which one of a dozen or more girls to ask to the Cotillion. He had a difficult time making choices and he thought this was an opportunity for him to make more than one Rawley Girl happy. Flanked on either side by a lovely escort Hamilton descended the steps that lead to the dance floor. Paige Bennett, the girl on Hamilton's left arm and Caroline Busse, the girl on Hamilton's right arm adorned him like smiling bookends dressed in nearly matching white taffeta dresses. "Hey, " Caroline said, "That cute guy over there is so checking you out."  
  
"What? Where?" Hamilton questioned scanning the room.   
  
"Not you, Hamilton. He's obviously looking at Paige." The girls giggled hysterically. Looking across the crowded dance floor Hamilton's eyes inadvertently locked with Jake's. When he felt his cheeks flush pink, he looked away.   
  
"That's a little disconcerting." Hamilton said. "Will you excuse me, lay-dee's. I'll be right back." Hamilton excused himself politely and headed for the men's room  
  
Scout kept a careful watch from behind an unusually large potted palm. He waited for the time to be right. When the door opened and closed Scout inhaled deeply and exhaled to build up his courage. He pushed open the door to the men's room and entered feeling confident. Three long purposeful steps took him toward his intended goal. He looked Hamilton Fleming in the eye and suddenly the feeling of panic overwhelmed him. Scout backed up and quickly walked toward each of the stalls, peering over the doors of all three. Confused by his antics Hamilton looked at Scout, "What are you doing?" He asked.  
  
Taking a big breath, Scout replied, "Throwing caution to the wind." before grabbing both sides of Hamilton's face. He closed his eyes and pulled Hamilton's lips toward his own. He felt Hamilton's body tense against him at first and then pull away slightly. He thought he felt the sensations of Hamilton's mouth on his own but a millisecond later, Scout realized that Hamilton's clenched fist had connected with his face. Scout felt the bathroom floor as it harshly stopped his descent. He shook his now aching head to clear his thoughts and sat up. The bathroom door banged shut startling him. He brought the sleeve of his white jacket toward his face and wiped a long, dark red smudge across it.  
"Damn." He said out loud as he looked at his own blood. The voice behind him was easily recognizable.  
  
"Salt and soda water..it'll take that right out"  
  
"Thanks." He said. Jake extended her hand to help him off the floor. "You know, all things considered...it didn't really go THAT badly." He tried to smile but the split in his lip prevented it.  
  
"I suppose it could have been worse...he could have killed you." Jake said matter-of-factly as she dampened a paper towel in the sink and proceeded to bend over him.  
  
"Hey, the music stopped." Scout noticed.  
  
Jake looked toward the door as if it would somehow improve her hearing. "Yeah, I guess it did." She acknowledged. The voices outside the men's room door raised in pitch. "I wonder what's going on."  
  
Dancers looked on as the stranger wrestled with the vocalist for control of the microphone. Some held their ears as the amplified squeal from the speakers got everyone's attention. She was an attractive woman in her mid-thirties She wore a tailored suit of pink tweed with an expensive looking black silk blouse beneath it. Her hair short red hair was perfectly coiffed and set with hairspray and her make up looked as though Kevyn Aucoin himself had applied it. She stood looking perfectly comfortable in the spotlight of center stage. She tapped her index finger against the microphone and again the shrill whine deafened the onlookers. "Sorry...sorry everyone." She hesitated briefly. "I'm sorry to interrupt your little dance...but I'm trying to find my daughter. Jacqueline honey, are you out there?" Monica put her hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the glare of the lights. "Jacqueline Pratt, I know you're out there somewhere." She said in a sing-songy voice.  
  
"Oh my God!"  
  
"What...Jake...who is that?" Jake opened the men's room door and headed out into the comfort of the masses.  
  
"Jackie, sweetie?"  
  
The crowd parted as Jake walked through like Moses. Her eyes stayed low and focused on the ground as her feet shuffled her closer to the edge of the stage. Jake looked up to see her mother staring down at her. "Mom!" She called out to get her attention. Monica Pratt's eyes came to rest on the young man standing in front of her. Her mouth fell open only after she recognized the emerald green eyes of her only daughter. "I thought I was going to have to call out the reserves." With the microphone still in her hand, "What's my beautiful girl doing dressed like a guy?" Her voice echoed. Monica tipped the  
microphone away from her so as not to be heard.  
  
"Mom, we need to talk." Jake said.  
  
Will and Bella let go of each over long enough to let the happenings in front of them register completely. "Oh no." Will said as he watched the embarrassed look on Jake's face. Bella grabbed for his arm and squeezed it reassuringly.  
  
"Wait, it might be Ok."  
  
Scout stood in the back of the crowd, paper towel remnants still stuck to his bleeding lip, and watched from the safety of the darkness. When he spied Hamilton out of the corner of his eye he quickly blended into the crowd in front of him.  
  
Monica stepped down off of the stage and stood in front of her nearly unrecognizable daughter. "Hi Mom." Jake whispered, her eyes still not meeting her mothers.   
  
Monica reached out and pulled at her daughters bangs. "Your hair...it's so short." She said.  
  
"Yeah well, it was getting in the way...of my life."  
  
"It's fresh...I like it." Monica smiled approvingly. It bothered Jake that her mother seemed oblivious to the throngs of students looking on. "Honey, can I ask you something?"  
  
"No." Jake stated not wanting to divulge the intimacies of her non-existent relationship with her mother in front of the Rawley student body.  
  
Ignoring Jake she went on, "Are you embarrassed by me?"  
  
Jake looked confused, "What? No..."  
  
"Then why the charade?" Monica reached out unknowingly and first straightened and then patted down the lapels on the tuxedo that Jake was wearing. Jake shrugged her shoulders in response. "You are a most unusual girl."  
  
"Yeah, that's what some people say."  
  
"Come on then..." Monica said wrapping her arm around her daughters shoulder, her head held high, as she led Jake through the audience.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"You're right, we do need to talk." Jake nodded her head in agreement.   
  
"Talk" Jake mouthed the words. Monica strengthened her grip on Jake's shoulder as a sign of affection.  
  
"Don't worry Jacqueline...I'm not going to embarrass you. I'll sit quietly and listen. I'll turn my cell phone off...promise."  
  
When the music resumed, reality hit Jake like a brick. She looked around the room at the faces that surrounded her. Jake looked as though she was walking to face the firing squad instead of to the back of the hall. In some ways, she thought she might stand a better chance if she were. Jake saw Hamilton Fleming. His sapphire blue eyes stared through her. He absently stepped away from Paige and Caroline and continued to focus on Jake. "What the hell?" He said in her direction. Jake had no choice but to smile in response.   
  
She saw Bella and Will holding hands as she passed. Will winked at her. He knew that ultimately this is what Jake wanted...he suspected that this wasn't the setting that she had originally planned...and he chuckled at that. Bella blew a small kiss off of her fingertips in a show of sisterly support. Scout poked his head out from behind a ficus tree. He held a plastic cup filled with ice to his swollen mouth and gave her a painful cock-eyed smile and a big 'thumbs-up' with his free hand.  
  
Monica and Jake left the dance floor. "Can you direct us to the powder room?"  
  
Jake laughed, "Would you believe I don't know where the girls room is?"  
***********************************************************************  
  
Will and Scout stood outside in the main foyer pacing like expectant fathers. Bella sat quietly in an overstuffed chair wondering what the nights events would hold in store for her sister. Finally, an hour passed and Jake and her mother emerged from the ladies room. They were both smiling. "We have a history of you not telling me what's going on in your life." Monica said as she passed the group.  
  
"Mom..."  
  
"Let me finish. I'm not going to start telling you what to do at this point. You've never needed me to before." Monica stopped walking and opened her arms wide to draw in her daughter. She hugged her. "I didn't realize how much I missed this...missed you...missed us." She reveled for a moment in the feeling that had been foreign to her for so long. "Honey, I'll meet you outside...the driver's waiting." She dabbed at her eyes with a linen handkerchief careful not to smudge her eyeliner. Jake smiled happily but cautiously. She watched her mother exit through the large wooden doors and then walked to where Bella, Scout and Will stood.  
  
"Everything Ok?" Will asked.  
  
"It's gonna be." Jake answered. "I heading back home to New York for a little while. My mother's going to be home for a few days before she has to go away on tour again."  
  
"So we'll see you in the fall?" Scout asked.  
  
"If they don't kick me out." Jake smiled and the group chuckled.  
  
Bella stepped forward and hugged Jake. "I can't believe this is it...that you're leaving...that it's over."  
  
"Who says it's over? My mother agreed to let me enroll at Rawley Girls for the fall semester. I promise you...I'll be back" Jake patted Bella's back and then withdrew from her embrace.  
  
Will hugged her next. "Thank you" He whispered softly into her ear.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For this. For Bella...for everything you've done."  
  
"Well...when the tables were turned, you helped me too." She smiled.  
  
"What are you gonna do now?"  
  
"You'll be the first to know." She smiled back at him.  
  
"Don't disappear on me." He said sincerely.  
  
"Well, I guess I better go. If I don't go soon my Mom's gonna send out an APB. I'll see you when I see you." Jake smiled as she backed up to the doors that lead outside to the waiting car. She waved back at them, watching the faces of her newfound friends. For the first time she felt as though she belonged. She was sad to be leaving, but happy to know that it was only temporary. Still backing up she waved one more time. Without warning Hamilton came barreling through the door from the other side hitting Jake square in the back. Scout scurried for protection behind Will hoping his height would make make him invisible to Hamilton. "Oh..Owww!" She yelled quietly.  
  
"Oh, dude...sorry. You alright?" He asked concerned.  
  
"It's Ok. I'm tougher than I look."  
  
"Yeah...I can see that. I've been meaning to talk to you...for a while now." He said.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really." He stared into her eyes just long enough for them both to feel that familiar tingling sensation. Hamilton put his arm around Jake's shoulder and guided her to the now open doors. "I'll walk out with you...if that's Ok."  
  
"Sure, I'd like that."  
  
"Jake, wait!" Bella called out. "What about Charlie?"  
  
"We can take care of all of that when I get back." Jake answered.  
  
"Who's Charlie?" Hamilton asked looking confused. Bella made a motion to Jake that she didn't want everyone to know about her father's infidelities...just yet.  
  
"It's a secret." Jake answered him.  
  
"Wait a minute. You have another secret other than this one?"  
  
"Uh-huh"  
  
Hamilton smirked..."This secret wouldn't happen to involve you being a lesbian...pretending to be a straight girl...pretending to be a guy? Because I could be into that."  
  
"No..." She said playfully punching him in the arm.  
  
"Grrrrrrr" They laughed as they walked out to Monica's car together.  
  
  
"...when we dream, we don't worry whether the dream is worthy of us but whether we are worthy of the dream. If we can stay proud of who we are...then maybe our dreams, like the prince with the glass slipper, will come find us."  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
